Shattered Destiny
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: All that Yang loves is doomed to be destroyed by fire, fangs, and fear. She is given one warning, one chance to change the future, and one chance to prevent the loss of all that she holds dear. But whether or not she can is up to her.
1. Prologue - The Prophecy

**This one was a long time writing, but it was a super interesting challenge and twist on what _could_ have happened instead during the fall of Beacon. **

**This idea and story were commissioned by beacontacticsmod! Thank you so much for the support, and for the opportunity to write such an amazing story! I hope you'll enjoy!**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Shattered Destiny

Prologue. The Prophecy

Yang didn't know what was happening.

One moment, she'd been walking through Beacon's courtyard, following the cobblestone path under the guide of the silver moonlight. She couldn't remember why she was there, nor could she remember how she'd gotten there in the first place. She just had this... _feeling_ that she needed to go somewhere, that she needed to keep walking.

So she did.

Until a gray mist began to surround her on all sides, rolling in as though the clouds had sunken down from the sky to clog the world below.

There was an ounce of fear in her heart. She longed to turn back.

But she didn't have control of her own body. She just kept walking, chin held high, as though she'd done this a million times before, and she had to do it again.

She didn't know what it was. But something was calling her.

At first, it was without sound. It was more of a conviction, drawing her in, guiding her through the dark mist without promise that she'd ever get out again.

And then, it was calling her in a literal sense.

" _Yang_..."

The voice was thin and wispy, as though the fog itself were speaking to her. The only thing that made her certain she'd heard it at all was the fact it was echoing around inside her skull, reverberating inside her body, causing her to tremble.

This seemed so familiar. And yet, she couldn't recall ever having done it before.

But her footsteps continued to bring her forward. There was no turning back.

" _Yang_..."

She followed the whispers of the fog, until she could recognize it as a voice. It became clearer, louder, more certain.

" _Yang_."

Inadvertently, she quickened her pace, her body moving on its own as though this unseen force was demanding it of her. She started running, like a slave being called to her master, desperate and under command to get there no matter the cost.

She ran hard, until she was panting, until a stifling heat had wrapped around her.

Up ahead, she spotted a shadow in the gray mist. As she approached, the shadow became a figure, and the figure soon took shape.

Dark robes outlined in crimson like blood.

Long, sharp black hair that jutted out like a bird's feathers.

Piercing red eyes that sent a familiar chill up her spine.

Yang skidded to a halt before her mother, one last wordless breath falling from her lips as she did so.

The woman looked her over with cold, calculating eyes – not the warm affection or even sadness of a mother who had left her child so many long years ago.

She wasn't here to apologize or to pull Yang into her arms. She was here to present her with a task.

 _"Yang. I'm so glad you could make it. We have a lot to talk about..."_

Her expression was unreadable. Not even a trace of a smile could be found on her lips.

Again, Yang got the overwhelming sense that she'd been here before, but she just couldn't remember when or how or why. She put a good distance between herself and her mother, jaw still hanging slightly slack before she managed to compose herself.

"What... What are _you_ doing here...?"

Her voice was strange, half a whimper and half a snarl. How _dare_ Raven show her face to Yang now? After so many years...

But Yang was obliged by something intangible to linger, to stay put there until she'd heard all she needed to hear, and seen all she needed to see.

Raven took a single step forward, clearing a section of the mist away as she did so.

 _"I'm glad you asked. But we don't have much time. I can't explain it. I'll simply have to show you."_

Yang stood her ground as her mother advanced.

" _Show_ me? What do you-"

But she was cut off when a sudden pang ran through her head. It was so sharp and painful she was on her knees in seconds, clutching her skull tightly with both hands as she cried out.

Intrusive images began pouring into her mind, things she'd never seen or thought of before on her own. Pictures were being forcefully inserted into her brain, pictures she'd never be able to un-see.

At first, it started with Yang herself, just standing there. Shapes and colors swirled all around her in a dizzying pattern of flashes and motion, until they began to take shape. She saw her teammates, her friends, her family...

But the first thing she _felt_ was a searing pain.

There was a physical ache in her stomach, and it felt as though someone had kicked her. There was a blow to her face, then to her back. In her mind, she was being beaten severely by some unseen force, the pain surging constantly throughout her body.

And then, it wasn't external any longer.

It was simply a tightening inside her stomach, like thick, thorny vines constricting her intestines, puncturing her in a million different places, from the inside out.

She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. She was helpless.

By the time those images had faded, Yang was sobbing, and could barely breathe.

But it wasn't over.

In her mind, the torment continued.

Weiss was screaming out in agony. Fire surrounded her, staining her dress and skin coal-black. Then, creatures of Grimm burst through the flames and pounced on her. She vanished beneath a barrage of white teeth, black fur, and red fire.

Yang couldn't move to help her.

Nor could she help Blake when she saw her fighting a man. A man Yang knew right away.

She could only watch helplessly as her partner ran in terror, but he was faster. He caught her by the hair, dragged her back, and impaled her on his blade. Blake screamed as he twisted the sword inside her, then let her drop silently and bleed.

Then it was Ruby.

A figure was standing there, one Yang couldn't discern. Sharp, pointed arrows were aimed at her little sister's chest.

Yang tried to cry out, but no sound came.

One by one, the arrows were shot into her baby sister's body, until Ruby collapsed and didn't move again.

Yang couldn't take this any more. She needed to _do_ something. She couldn't just sit and watch anymore. She needed to know what was going on.

But her mother provided no such answers, nor any ounce of comfort. She just gave her another vision.

By this point, Yang couldn't bear to see anything else, to feel any more of this harrowing anguish and helplessness.

But then she saw another girl, one she'd always admired, one she'd always been close to.

Pyrrha was the first person in those images who seemed to see Yang in return. She smiled and put up a hand to wave to her. Her lips moved as she said something that Yang never heard.

And then she was gone.

A cruel, red light consumed her, until there was nothing left but dust.

Only then did the images fade.

Yang screamed, her breath hitching as she finally came back to whatever reality this was. Sobbing and trembling, she turned fiery eyes upon her mother, terrified and furious all at once.

"What..." she cried. "What _is_ this? Why are you showing me this?!"

Raven was unfazed by her daughter's poignant agony. She simply looked down on her with the same unreadable expression.

"Because," she said. "You are going to change it all. Or at least... I _hope_ you will."

Her words were nothing short of prophetic. As they echoed on the air, Raven turned away, the materials of her cape flapping just inches away from Yang's face.

"Wait!" She reached out and tried to grab the clothing, but her fingers fazed right through. Yang cried out again, but her mother didn't turn back.

The mists pulled in, concealing her, and she was gone.

Yang groveled there on her knees, sniffling and crying as her mother left her once again.

The awful images she'd just been shown started to fade along with her conscious, though something told her they'd be back with a horrible vengeance.

But for now, she was allowed to forget them.

She fell forward, eyes closed, and everything became black and still.

* * *

 **A/N: I'll bet this sort of fic has been done before, but I promise you, not like what BT and I have planned.**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	2. Chapter 1 - The First Test

**Remember, this is taking place several volumes in the past from where we are now. This is before the Vytal Festival at the moment, so we've got to mentally rewind a bit.**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 1. The First Test

Needless to say, Yang was thoroughly shaken after waking from that nightmare the next morning.

Her eyes flew open, finding herself panting and covered in sweat, her hair sticking tightly to the sides of her face and the back of her neck, her sleepwear ruffled. The bed was a mess, clear evidence she'd been tossing and turning all night long. Her position was almost diagonal, with her feet dangling off to one side.

As she gathered her bearings, the fragmented images in the back of her mind swiftly faded off. The last thing she remembered was a flash of white, which was immediately swallowed up by flames.

A second later, everything was gone.

Yang sat up, still panting, wiping her forearms over her face in turn. She was sweating profusely, as though she herself had been the one to be consumed by fire.

 _Get it together. It was just a dream..._

She couldn't afford to be distracted or off her game at all. Not today.

Because today was her doubles' match with Weiss in the tournament. She needed to focus now more than ever.

It took her a few minutes to compose herself, but luckily she seemed to be the first one awake that morning, so she didn't have to worry about anyone else noticing her distress. She took a few deep breaths, running her fingers back through her hair and trying not to think about what she'd seen last night in her dreams.

 _I gotta go shower..._

Slowly, she shifted her weight to the side of the bed and eased her way down, landing as lightly as possible. She saw Blake's ears flick and tried to hurry to the bathroom before her partner could wake, but she wasn't quick enough. She'd only gotten a few hurried steps in when she heard the familiar groggy voice from behind her.

"Mn... Yang?"

She paused and plastered on a smile before turning around to face her.

"Morning, Blake!" she whispered. "I'm just gonna hit the shower. Unless you need to get in first?"

Blake shook her head as she pushed herself up and looked Yang over, scrutinizing her.

"Yang... is everything okay? I woke up a few times last night because you were rolling around so much."

Yang did her best to act natural.

"Oh, really? Sorry about that."

"No, it's okay." Blake's clear, golden eyes pierced into hers, unwavering. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

Yang almost faltered. Almost.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bad dream, y'know?"

Blake was silent for a moment, as if processing the answer and trying to examine it for any indication that it could be hiding something. But Blake of all people knew her fair share of nightmares, so it was no surprise she accepted the response.

"Okay. Sorry it had to happen the night before the doubles' match, of all times. Don't you think you should sleep in a bit more? We still have about an hour."

"Nah, I'm fine. I think I just need to shower more than anything."

Blake looked her over one more time, then offered a small smile.

"All right. I'm glad you're okay, Yang."

Yang gave her a thumbs-up.

"Thanks, partner."

With that, the blonde finished her walk to the bathroom and closed the door behind herself. She flicked on the light, then limped over to the sink, leaning both palms heavily against the edge.

She took a few more breaths, then looked up into the mirror.

Her eyes were red, and her hair was jet-black-

Gasping, she staggered back, until she couldn't see her reflection anymore. She whipped around and started running the shower water.

 _Geez. Am I really going crazy? Today of all days? Get it together, Xiao Long._

She shed her clothes, thankful to be free of the stifling materials before stepping into the water. She'd ensured it was the perfect temperature before doing so.

But as she began to lather shampoo into her hair, the water turned almost blazing hot without warning. She yelped, jumping away as she rounded on the handle, and cranked it down to a colder setting. It lasted only for a few minutes before she felt more blistering water hitting against her back.

"What the hell-?"

Once again, she pushed the handle down, this time to the coldest possible setting. The water was freezing for a minute, causing her to shiver in the utmost discomfort. But it gradually started turning hot again.

She needed to quickly and haphazardly rinse out her hair before quite literally jumping out of the shower, covering herself with her towel. She was shivering, but her skin felt like it was still on fire. Clutching the towel to herself, she shut off the water, then sat down on the side of the tub.

 _God... maybe I really am losing it..._

After a few minutes, the prickling sensation left her skin, and she dared to dress herself. She gave her semblance a flare to dry her hair out quickly, then gathered up her pajamas and exited the bathroom.

By that point, Weiss was already up, likely too excited about today's upcoming match to sleep in any longer. She looked up and gave Yang a smile.

"Good morning, Yang. I assume you had trouble sleeping, too?"

"Huh? I mean... yeah... a bit, I guess."

Weiss was referencing her jitters for the doubles' match, not the lingering discomfort from the nightmares. Yang didn't want anyone else to know about that, so she let it be concealed by allowing people to think she was just nervous about today's events.

Weiss finished making her bed, then made her way over to the blonde.

"Don't worry. We've trained amply for this. Even if we don't win, we'll still give the world an impressive show."

Her confidence was appreciated, and a little bit contagious. Yang managed to reflect the smile and made a fist.

"Yeah. You're right!"

She offered her fist to Weiss, who was puzzled for a moment before she understood what Yang wanted. The heiress made a fist too, and lightly bumped their knuckles together.

"Now, if you'll excuse me. I'd like to shower as well before your sister gets in and uses all the hot water."

"Oh, uh, Weiss?" Yang reached out to stop her. "You might wanna wait on that. I think something might be wrong with the pipes and stuff in our bathroom. The water was blazing hot no matter what I did."

"Really? I'll just have to be quick and risk it then. I can't possibly go out in front of the entire world without having showered first. But thank you for the warning."

With that, Weiss grabbed her combat skirt and other clothes from her drawers, then headed into the bathroom. Yang watched her go until the door was completely closed, then meandered back across the room. Blake was just pushing herself up again, instantly awake as her partner approached.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Guess I'm just nervous about today is all."

"That's understandable. But you'll be fine."

Yang's only response was a nod. She then turned to her little sister's bed, where the extra blanket was curtained around the perimeter. She climbed up onto the edge of Weiss' bed, then peered in to tap Ruby's shoulder.

"Hey, sis. Wakey, wakey."

Ruby rolled over, disturbing Zwei as she did so.

"Mmm... eggs and bakey?" she mumbled.

Yang grinned.

"If you get up now, we'll still have plenty of time for breakfast, sure."

"Oh, yay!" Ruby promptly pushed herself up, rubbing her eyes before blindly groping for Zwei and pulling him into her lap. "Oh! And today's the doubles' match! I'm soooo excited!"

With Zwei in her arms, she jumped down off the bed and started darting around the room to gather her clothes. Blake followed suit, albeit much more slowly.

Yang decided to sit on the edge of Blake's bed for a moment and just tried to collect her thoughts. Again, she could feel an unnatural heat on her skin, one she knew for certain wasn't attributed to her semblance at all.

She shook herself off just as the bathroom door opened and Weiss stepped out, a towel around her hair as she padded it dry.

"It's all yours, Blake," she said before turning to her partner for today's match. "And Yang, I don't know what you're talking about. The water seemed just fine to me."

* * *

Yang did her best to be her usual self that morning. And by the time she and Weiss had been called down into the arena, she'd more or less entirely forgotten about the strange nightmare.

Now, she was pumped for their match, eager to claim victory for Beacon and for team RWBY.

As she stretched out her arms, she listened with mild interest as Weiss answered her question about what to expect from their opponents today.

For the most part, she was feeling a lot better than she had been earlier that morning. But there was one thing that made her a bit uneasy.

Their selected battlefield had a large portion of volcanic terrain.

Right now, Yang wasn't all that thrilled about the presence of heat or fire, especially if it wasn't her own.

She took a conscious step away from that side of the arena as Weiss listed off the attributes they should be expecting from their opponents.

Her confident speech about how refined and cunning these people would be was shattered by a gust of wind and a flash of rainbows.

Yang looked them over, admittedly unimpressed, but knowing better than to judge people by appearances.

But as soon as they opened their mouths, she decided she didn't like them anyway.

Of course, the comments about her weight pissed her off, but what made her angriest was the way that boy spoke to Weiss.

As the match began, Yang vowed to focus on thoughts of winning, and not allow her mind to wander back to the strange nightmares.

It worked, but only for the most part.

She engaged in combat with Neon, throwing blazing punches that matched the equally-scathing comments spouting from the Faunus girl's mouth. She stayed focused on her goal, on winning, on claiming victory for team RWBY and for Beacon Academy-

 _Bzzzt!_

"Huh...?"

Shocked, the fire momentarily drained from Yang's veins as she turned around.

And her nightmare was right before her eyes.

Bouts of flame and smoke were pluming up all around Weiss, who shrunk and withered beneath them. The flash of red was so quick, but it blotted the heiress out in a split second.

Yang was back in her nightmare.

The wolves were all around her howling, blood splattered the ground, shadows were consuming her, a pair of piercing crimson eyes glowered back at her-

With a short scream, she broke away from the visions, whirling around and all but flying at the people who had done this to Weiss.

From that point on, it was all a blur.

But in a matter of minutes, the buzzers were blaring once again, signifying that her opponents had been defeated.

Yang stood there, panting and fuming amongst the cheering crowds. Her heart clenched as she whipped around and rushed back to Weiss.

She was burnt badly and coughing, so Yang was very gentle in holding her up. Ruby and Blake met her at the heiress' side.

The medics came and took Weiss to the infirmary to be treated, and about half an hour later, Yang found herself sitting next to Blake beside Weiss' bed. Ruby was gabbing away at her partner, recounting just how cool Weiss had looked on the battlefield, while the heiress did her best not to blush in mild flattery.

Yang just needed to reflect on it all.

It hadn't ended the same way her nightmare had. Weiss got hurt, but she was all right now. There was no permanent damage to her lungs or burns on her skin. She was going to make a full recovery in just a few day's time.

Even so, it was... odd. What she'd seen today in the arena had been similar to what she'd seen in her dreams.

Yang shook her head, eyes trained on the floor.

 _It's just a coincidence. I mean... what_ else _could it have been?_

A light tap on her shoulder made her jump, only to relax a second later when she realized Blake was looking at her.

"Yang, are you okay?" she wondered, voice low. "Ever since the match ended, you've been kind of... out of it."

"You'd better not be blaming yourself for what happened," Weiss snapped. "I acted on my own accord. You have no reason to feel guilty."

Yang looked from her partner to the heiress to her sister. Ruby's smile was gradually fading as she began to realize something might've been bothering her. But Yang shook her head, dislodging the uncomfortable thoughts in an effort to brush them away for good.

"Sorry, you guys. I'm fine. Just a little tired from today, I guess."

"Understandable," Weiss sighed, leaning back against her pillows. "It was a little chaotic. But it's over for now. We can all have some time to relax before you're sent to the finals."

"She's right!" Ruby piped up. "Maybe once Weiss is discharged we can all go out for a celebratory meal!"

"It may have to wait until tomorrow," Blake reminded her. "But I think that sounds nice."

They all looked to Yang, smiles and kind considerate eyes shining on her. It all but erased the unsettling thoughts.

"Yeah! Sounds good!" A grin split her lips, and she leaned forward, drawing Blake in with one arm, and Weiss with the other. Ruby leaned over the bed to join in.

They all shared a small bout of laughter, relishing the feeling that came along with being teammates to one of the victors to represent their school. Yang could feel just how proud they were of her. It was really a wonderful feeling.

But it didn't last.

Something started prickling at the back of her mind, to the point where it caused her to wince and pull away from the group hug. The others frowned.

"Yang?" Ruby murmured. "Are you okay? You didn't get hurt in the match too, did you?"

"Do you want me to call for a nurse?" Blake offered.

"No... It's fine. Just a headache, I think..." Yang waved them all off with another smile. "I'm just gonna go grab some water. Be right back."

She stood from her chair and stretched her legs out a bit before heading for the door, leaving the other three to continue gushing about today's matches.

Yang left behind the excitable atmosphere for the quieter, more haunting air of the infirmary hallway. Her footsteps echoed as she made her way to a water cooler and pulled out a plastic cup to fill it.

But just before the rim hit her lips, another pang shot through her temple.

And this time, that wasn't the _only_ thing that went through her head.

It was almost like static for a second, creating a dissonance that was discombobulating enough to have her drop the cup as she staggered back against the wall, clutching her head.

"W-What the-?"

And then the static began to change into something else, something more coherent, more familiar.

A voice.

 _You've failed... the first test..._

It wasn't her own voice, or her own mind. It wasn't supposed to be in _her_ head. Someone had forced it in somehow.

The intrusion was so horrifyingly realistic, she ended up answering it.

" _Get out!_ "

And as quickly as it had come, the static vanished. There was a residual throbbing both in her skull and in her chest, but the poignant pain and the voice were gone.

Slowly, as if scared it might return, she lowered her hands from either side of her head, staring blankly at her palms.

"The hell...?"

There was no one else in that hallway. No one present that could've spoken to her so clearly without her being able to see them.

 _Maybe... I really am losing it..._

Suddenly, she was exhausted, but the thought of returning to her dorm room to sleep didn't really appeal to her. She feared she'd only have more nightmares.

 _Shit... not now. Couldn't this have waited till after the tournament or something...?_

Sighing heavily, she crouched down to clean up the cup she'd spilled, activating her semblance just a little to evaporate the water. She composed herself, put the smile back on, then discarded the cup into the trash without ever having taken a sip.

 _I don't know what's going on, but it'll be fine._

But as she headed back to the room, her heart didn't feel as confident as her thoughts might've liked her to be.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry I basically had to skip over the fight, but we all know how that went and it wasn't the main/important part, so I just fast-forwarded it.**

 **So Yang failed the first test. Thoughts? Theories? Predictions?**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	3. Chapter 2 - The Beginning Of The End

**Some people gave me some very accurate theories and predictions! But I think you'll all still be surprised more than once about future events.**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 2. The Beginning Of The End

Getting to sleep that night was a struggle for Yang.

She'd opted to try and stay awake for as long as she could, but her teammates reminded her she'd be fighting in the finals tomorrow, and couldn't afford to be tired while doing it.

Weiss fell asleep right away due to her exhaustion from today's battle, and Ruby wasn't far behind her. Blake only stayed up a while longer to read, and ultimately, it was she who persuaded Yang to finally go to bed.

But even though the light was turned off and she laid her head down on her pillow, Yang did everything she could to stay awake. That residual static in the back of her mind kept flaring up, fluctuating in the most unsettling of ways.

When she did close her eyes, images of fire and Grimm painted the backs of her eyelids. The scene of Weiss getting burnt kept replaying in her mind. When Ruby and Blake ran out into the arena, Yang saw the same images she'd seen the night before.

Adam was slashing at Blake's ankles, until she collapsed. He lifted his sword above her and plunged it down deep. Her screams rang out, then were overlapped by someone else's.

Ruby tumbled to the ground with an arrow in her chest, bleeding profusely as she wailed to Yang for help.

And Yang ran.

She ran as hard as she could, but she never made it to them.

There was a black blur, like that of wings, and then the voice came back.

 _You've failed the first test... And it was such an easy one... so preventable..._

Yang was once again shown the images of Weiss being burnt, coughing and charred. She tried to reach out to her teammates, but the ache in her skull split through once again, resulting in her immobility.

 _Next time... it won't be so harmless, Yang..._

She tried to shake the voice away.

But when she next looked up, Weiss was being torn to pieces by Grimm. Adam was flaying Blake, carving her inside out. A barrage of arrows were shot into Ruby's motionless body...

Pyrrha had jumped down from the stands to try and help, calling out their names. But then the shadows took her, suffocating her until there was nothing left but red dust.

Yang couldn't take it.

"NO! _STOP IT!_ "

She screamed until her voice broke, hot tears spilling down. An agonizing pain shot through face, then her stomach, just like last time. She felt like she was being beaten by some invisible force, and she was helpless to stop it.

Then it was the same horrible feeling in her stomach, like she was going to throw up, like her heart was going to burst out.

"No... why...? Stop it... Ruby... Weiss... Blake... Pyrrha..."

And then more pain tore through her right arm, seizing the nerves all the way up to her elbow. She couldn't feel anything below that. It was just numb... as though it wasn't even there at all...

She woke with a horrible start, never having realized she'd fallen asleep in the first place. There was a damp spot on her pillow, drool and tears and even a bit of blood from where she'd bitten down on her lip in her sleep.

She sat up and wiped her right hand over her mouth, confirming that her arm was still attached. She swallowed the blood, hating the taste and scent of it, but needing to erase it at any cost.

She sat there for a long while, holding onto her right arm with her left hand, touching it over and over again to reaffirm it was still there.

She glanced over at Ruby's bed and heard her little sister snoring peacefully from behind the draping blankets. Below her, Weiss' breathing was a little raspy, but she too, seemed all right. Blake was quiet beneath her, save from a few little twitches of her ears now and again.

They were all okay.

 _It was just another nightmare... God, when will it end...?_

But there was one last person she'd seen in her dreams that she just wanted to check on.

It was past 1AM now, but she grabbed her scroll anyway and sent out a message to Pyrrha:

 _ **Hey, sorry it's so late. Hope I don't wake you and that you'll see this in the morning. I just can't sleep tonight so I'm texting you out of boredom. With all that happened with Weiss today, I didn't get the chance to see you or say congrats on yours and Nora's win today! You guys were awesome! Good luck tomorrow in the singles' match. See you there!**_

She sent it without hesitating, not wanting to have second thoughts.

Part of her knew Pyrrha was probably asleep, and _that_ would be the reason why she wouldn't reply, not because something had happened to her. But given what was going on in her mind, Yang couldn't help but worry.

However, by some strange coincidence, her scroll buzzed not a minute later with a reply from Pyrrha:

 _ **It's perfectly fine, Yang! I'm actually having a bit of trouble sleeping tonight, as well, so I appreciate your message! Thank you so much! And I'll give Nora your regards in the morning, as well! I'll see you tomorrow! Good luck!**_

Yang couldn't help but feel better after her brief conversation with her classmate. No matter the situation, Pyrrha was always positive and supportive, a source of solace and strength, particularly towards her friends and teammates. Yang always felt comforted whenever she was around her or speaking to her.

Which was why Yang hated seeing her vanish in that nightmare.

 _But that's_ all _it is. A nightmare. Nothing more. Maybe I'm going a little nuts from all the stress of the tournament, but that should all be over soon anyway._

She put her scroll aside and pulled the blankets back up to her chest, rolling onto her back to stare at the ceiling for a time. She waited, but no voice came creeping back into her head.

So she dared to close her eyes and let out a long, peaceful sigh. She'd found that calm breathing and meditation were often much more beneficial than tossing and turning were on sleepless nights, so she opted for the former.

It took her a long time, and it was difficult to consciously lasso her thoughts away from the darker side of her mind. But eventually, she felt herself slipping under.

But of course, not before that voice came to her again.

 _Relax all you want. It won't change anything. Only you can do that..._

She was too far gone to try and wake herself back up to address it.

So she had no other choice but to sleep with that thought tacked to the back of her mind.

* * *

The following day, her teammates were bubbling with excitement and anticipation.

Ruby crawled up into her sister's bed to hug her awake. Weiss' healing injuries didn't stop her from giving Yang a "do"s and "don't"s speech at breakfast. And Blake was smiling a lot more than usual.

Pyrrha even stopped by their table to present her with a dazzling white smile and words of support and good luck. Yang fist-bumped her before Pyrrha took her leave.

By all means, she should've been entirely focused on today's matches.

But it was starting to feel just like yesterday had - an unsettling night's worth of images in the back of her mind, fading kindly into a nice morning.

But yesterday hadn't ended so well, given Weiss' injuries. At least she'd been okay in the end, but Yang couldn't help but feel like she could've _done_ something to prevent the incident altogether. Maybe if she'd paid more-

"Yang, pay attention!" the heiress snapped from across the table. "I mean, honestly. I'm trying to help you out here by giving you tips, remember?"

"Huh? Oh, right. Sorry."

"Honestly... All right, so where were we? Right, so if your opponent happens to be from Vacuo, here's what you can expect..."

Weiss went on giving her discourse, as she'd been doing for the past thirty minutes. Yang had half a mind to jokingly comment about how wrong she'd been about yesterday's opponents. But she was far too relieved just to see that Weiss was being her old self, talking as much as usual, despite what had happened.

 _Yesterday was just a fluke,_ she told herself. _It won't happen again._

And the rest of the day seemed to go by in accordance to those thoughts.

She and her teammates enjoyed the fairgrounds for a time, and whenever she managed to catch Pyrrha's eye, Yang would give a little wave or a thumbs up.

As the day went on, the atmosphere became more and more tinged with excitement.

Until at last, the singles' matches were underway.

An announcement was made, and the names of all the people participating rang out through the air as all the students and audience members began making their way toward the arena.

Yang and her team made it to the point where the aisles for seats and the arena split, and that was where they parted ways.

Naturally, Ruby was the first one to throw her arms around her big sister, giggling merrily as Yang spun her around. "Good luck, Yang! You're gonna do awesome! Break a leg!"

"Thanks, Ruby." Yang put her down and kissed her atop the head, then gave her hair a quick little ruffle.

Weiss stepped up next, her posture as prim and proper as ever, looking ten times better than she had yesterday now that her skin wasn't grey.

"Remember, Yang. Depending on where they're from, your opponent is likely to have a specific fighting style. If you can work in accordance to that-"

"I get it, I get it." Yang slung an arm across her shoulders and leaned into her. "Jeez, you're so uptight." She stepped away as Weiss brushed her off with a huff. Yang put the teasing aside and smiled. "Thanks, Weiss. Really."

The heiress gave a quick nod, then looked away.

Finally, Blake stepped in, wearing a small, but wonderfully genuine smile.

"Good luck, Yang. You're going to do great."

To Yang's surprise, her taciturn partner actually hugged her briefly, and it was all the blonde could do to quickly return the contact before it was over.

"Thanks, Blake. I'll do my best."

Finally, Yang stepped away, looking over the three of them one last time.

She wanted to win. She wanted to make them proud. More than anything.

All four of them moved in for one last group hug before parting with little waves. Yang turned around to face the arena, then headed off to her waiting area.

She scoured the faces of the other people present there, all of her potential opponents. Some she recognized and some she didn't, but she'd treat them all with equal respect and vigor, should she end up fighting them today.

But there were a few people she knew very well.

Penny found Yang before the blonde even spotted her, coming up on Yang's side to tap her, causing her to jump.

"Sal~u~tations, Yang! Isn't it so exciting to be here? I'm _very_ excited!"

Yang sighed before giving the ginger-haired girl a smile.

"You bet. Good luck, Penny!"

"And the same goes for you!" she said with a salute.

Almost as soon as Penny scampered off, Yang found someone else to occupy her attention. Pyrrha caught her eye and waved Yang over enthusiastically.

"Good afternoon, Yang. Are you ready for the finals?" Standing there with her javelin in one hand and her shield in the other, the young champion certainly looked ready. Yang raised her fists and bumped them together.

"You bet!" Then, she lowered her voice into a bit more private tone. "By the way, sorry if my text woke you up last night."

"Oh, not at all! Please don't worry about it! I'd been waking up on and off all night, and seeing your message really made me happy!"

"Yeah? That's a relief."

Yang decided to stand next to her classmate as they all awaited the first match's pairing announcement. There was a bit of chatter around them, but for a moment, both Yang and Pyrrha were silent, their eyes trained on the screen that would soon tell them their opponents.

For a moment, Yang's mind started to regress into those dark thoughts again, like a tide dragging her back bit by bit. She tried to keep away, but the image of her nightmares just kept resurfacing.

One second Pyrrha was there. The next, nothing but red dust filled her place.

And then there was the horrible aching Yang herself had felt, in her jaw, her gut, her skull...

"Oh!" Pyrrha's pleasant voice drew Yang back up and into reality. "I forgot to ask. How is Weiss doing?"

"Oh, she's fine," Yang replied. "On her way to a full recovery already."

"That's grand news!" she beamed. But then, the smile faded, and her tone dropped. "And... what about _you,_ Yang? How are you doing?"

"Huh...?"

She hadn't been expecting such a question directed at herself. Pyrrha's eyes were stern and serious, and something told Yang that if she spoke a lie, Pyrrha would call her out on it right away. Pyrrha had always been incredibly perceptive, so Yang didn't know why she was surprised about having her troubles discovered by her. Had she been that obvious about it?

Pyrrha was still waiting patiently for an answer, though in her mind, Yang's prolonged hesitation was answer enough. The blonde ran a hand back through her hair and sighed softly.

"Pyrrha-"

But just then, Dr. Oobleck's voice rang out across the stadium, declaring that the first match-up would now be shown. The announcement effectively drew everyone's attention up to the huge screen, and whatever conversation had been spawning between Yang and Pyrrha was forgotten in the anticipation.

Yang watched as the blur of faces passed by in the first of the two boxes, until at last it came to an indisputable stop on one person. It took her a moment to realize she was looking at herself.

"Oh, how exciting!" Pyrrha smiled, patting Yang's shoulder. "You'll be first!"

"Yeah. Awesome..." Yang mumbled as much to herself, but wasn't sure if she was entirely convinced about her own supposed enthusiasm. She glanced across to the second box to see who her opponent was.

Mercury Black. He was a familiar face, but not one she knew all that well.

But Pyrrha had something to say about him, too.

"I think you'll do just fine," she said, a little more tightly. "I don't want to judge, but that boy seems to have a tendency to give up when things get too difficult for him." She turned to Yang with another smile. "Best of luck! I know you'll do wonderfully, Yang!"

"Hey, uh, Pyrrha-?"

But before she could hope to say any more, the excited crowds started cheering her name, demanding she take the center of the arena and face her opponent. The knot that had been forming in her stomach until now tightened just a bit more.

 _I'm being ridiculous. That weird dream meant nothing. I need to focus now._

So she squared her shoulders and sucked in a deep, steadying breath.

A glance to one side showed her teammates in the crowd. Weiss and Blake were clapping excitedly, while Ruby was pumping her fist in the air.

Everyone else cleared the arena, moving back to gather behind the safety lines. Yang advanced, and a few seconds later, she saw her opponent do the same. His swagger and smugness alone made her want to deck him once just for being a total prick, but she kept her cool.

Naturally, they exchanged a few comments before the match begun, some more subtle or scathing than others.

For a long moment, nothing felt real to Yang. The lights were so blinding, the noise was raucous, and she didn't think she could feel her own footsteps.

And then, just like that, reality hit her in the face.

Literally.

She'd barely realized the buzzer had rung before Mercury's boot was colliding with her cheek.

She was sent skidding, spitting up a small mouthful of red. Growling, she charged at him, throwing fiery parries and hard-aimed bullets.

His kicks were as ruthless as her punches were, and everything seemed to happen in a blur of motion and sparks. She'd land a hit, then take one, dodge an attack, then miss.

They seemed about tied in her mind, because he was starting to limp and cough just as much as she was.

This pain... felt oddly familiar somehow. Like she'd felt it before, but couldn't remember how, when, or why...

She couldn't explain what happened next.

It felt like she temporarily blacked out while still on her feet.

But the next thing she knew... the crowds had stopped cheering.

A deafening, weighted silence crashed down over the audience. Mercury had crumpled, screaming in sheer agony, clutching his leg.

"My leg! She- She broke my leg!"

Yang didn't even register his words right away. She couldn't even understand what was happening.

"W...What? The hell are you saying? I didn't-!"

"Mercury!" Emerald, his partner, was hurrying onto the arena frantically. She knelt at his side as he continued to wail in pain.

"Why did she do that?! Why did she _attack_ me?!"

Emerald just shook her head, looking hollow and terrified.

Yang's stomach sank and flipped all at the same time.

"What's he-?"

But a flash of motion caught her eye, directing her attention up to the display screens.

They showed something that... never happened.

They didn't show how Mercury had attacked _her_ first, and Yang had simply been defending herself. Instead, it depicted things as though _Yang_ had been the one to initiate a totally random and vicious attack, even after the final buzzer had rung.

Her heart struck in horror as she watched. The crowds were still shrieking in dismay and outrage, demanding for her disqualification.

"No..."

She staggered back, but the next thing she knew, she was surrounded by armed guards.

"Yang Xiao Long! Stand down!"

Their guns were pointed right at her, as though she were some kind of dangerous criminal. Anger and fear flared up inside her as she rounded on them, her eyes flashing red.

"What are you doing?! _He_ attacked _me!_ "

 _Didn't he...?_

The screens certainly didn't show that.

But... But she _knew_ it was true. She'd experienced it herself. She'd _lived_ in that moment. She _knew_ she was right. She had to be...

But the guards weren't willing to listen to her. They only demanded her immediate surrender as the medics rushed to surround Mercury.

He... He wasn't just faking it. He'd broken his leg somehow, even though Yang knew _she_ hadn't been the one to do it.

But... what if she had?

 _No... No, no, no! I can't let them win! They tricked me! They rigged this somehow! I can't believe their lies!_

But no matter how hard she tried to keep a calm head, the chaos around her was far too much to bear.

The professors giving the announcements were scrambling to shut off the instant replay screen, and everyone in the audience was crying out in terror or demanding Yang be taken away.

The guards never for a second asked to hear her side of the story, and Mercury's shouts of pain echoed throughout the arena, even as he was taken away.

Yang couldn't move. The confusion, fear, and guilt piled up into a suffocating mound of weight that didn't allow her to so much as flinch anymore. The entire world hated her right now.

 _No... maybe not everyone..._

Her last shred of hope was to look for her teammates, praying they'd be on her side. She expected them to be as outraged as she felt, already proclaiming her innocence to those around them, fighting for her.

But...

But that wasn't what she saw.

Blake's eyes were wide with something Yang had _never_ wanted to elicit in her.

Fear. The fear she would've looked at someone like Adam with. That's who Yang resembled now, in Blake's eyes.

Weiss was in utter shock, disbelief. Her hands were pressed hard over her mouth, and she could barely breathe, barely comprehend what she'd seen, and what she was still seeing.

And the bond of trust Yang had striven for months to build between them seemed to be severed in a matter of seconds.

But nothing hurt more than Ruby's reaction.

Her little sister was... beyond emotion.

Her eyes were blank, though tears were streaming down her cheeks. She was huddled up in her seat, rocking back and forth.

To Ruby, Yang had been one of the few people to hold up her entire world, a pillar of support, comfort, and strength.

And now that pillar had come crashing down, and half her world had gone with it.

Seeing that her own partner, teammate, and sister didn't believe her...

 _That_ was what brought Yang to tears, and to her knees.

She collapsed, defeated in every way, a sickening nausea rising up like bile in the back of her throat. It felt so familiar, this hopeless, helpless feeling... She'd felt it somewhere before, this poignant, unbearable ache...

Where? Where had she felt this before...?

And like another kick to the head, it hit her.

 _My dream-_

And then her mind was shaken by a splitting pain as that voice forced its way back in.

 _I'm very disappointed, Yang. I gave you ample time and opportunity this time. And still, you've failed the second test..._

That ominous voice, the distraught faces of her loved ones, and the sickening agony in her chest...

They were the last things she sensed before the world turned black.

* * *

 **A/N: Maybe now Yang will start to take her dream seriously. But what if it's already too late? Next chapter will start straying from the canon and build up its own plot, as well as answer a few questions you may have!**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	4. Chapter 3 - A Hopeless Future

**You've all been making the valid point in Yang's defense: how is she supposed to take Raven's warning seriously if she just thinks they're dreams? Hopefully this chapter will address a few questions.**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 3. A Hopeless Future

It was horrible.

The days and weeks that had led up to the Vytal Festival and the Tournament had been filled with so much excitement and anticipation for Yang, her friends, and her teammates. They'd been looking forward to it for months, eager to prove what they'd learned as huntresses of Beacon. But most of all, they'd all wanted to have fun together.

None of those hopes and dreams could ever come true now.

It was all ruined.

And it was all because of Yang.

She'd been hauled into solitary confinement somewhere in Beacon's detention center. They'd locked her up in a room, but just because it had four solid walls instead of bars didn't make it feel any less like a prison cell.

Aside from the stiff bed she sat on, there was a small table with a lamp, but she chose to keep it turned off. The only sounds were those of the ventilation system, blowing in cool, quiet air.

She'd woken up there, alone and clearly on lockdown.

She knew they were probably investigating what had happened.

And she also knew that they'd never find any evidence to prove her innocence.

Everyone else had only seen what was displayed on that screen. No one had seen or felt what _she_ had.

She was the only one who believed – no – who _knew_ she'd acted solely in self-defense.

She _hadn't_ just snapped and gone on a rampage. She _hadn't_ simply attacked a defenseless boy when the match had already been called off.

She couldn't allow herself to believe those things. She couldn't let herself fall into this trap, whatever it was.

She was the _only_ person who believed in herself. If _she_ didn't, then no one else would.

She couldn't allow their stories to sway her perception, her knowledge, of what had truly happened. If she did, then all would be lost. She'd never be able to trust herself again, and therefore, she'd never be able to expect anyone else to, either.

So she _had_ to trust in herself, now more than ever.

But... even that was becoming difficult.

She'd woken up hours ago, alone in this room, without anyone else to talk to or explain her situation to. No one was there to hear her out.

 _Do they even care about my side of things...?_

For hours, she'd been replaying the fight with Mercury in her mind. She'd _seen_ him attacking her after the match had been declared over. She _knew_ she had. She _knew_ she'd acted in self-defense. There was some kind of trick, some kind of illusion falsifying what was being displayed on the screen. She just couldn't figure out what it was or how it had happened.

Naturally, she'd been so focused on her match that she hadn't had the time or reason to consider something like that happening. And neither had anyone else, for that matter.

The audience and observers around the world had been focused on the match, not what might've been happening behind the scenes or off to the side. Yang couldn't blame the passiveness of the onlookers for this, nor could she blame herself.

Someone was planning this, plotting horrible schemes. And something told her this was only the first of many.

For hours, she'd been consumed by guilt, not only because of what she'd been shown to do, but because of the possibility that maybe... just maybe, she could have prevented it.

That nausea, that fear, that pain she'd experienced had all been the exact same feelings she'd experienced in her nightmares. It had been similar for the images of seeing Weiss burnt, only to watch the very same reality the very next day.

What if her dreams weren't _just_ dreams? What if they were _more_ somehow...?

She couldn't fathom how that was possible, though. And if someone came in to interrogate her, and she told them she'd _dreamed_ about this happening, no one would ever take her seriously again.

She needed to keep her dreams a secret. She needed to figure this out on her own.

But she wouldn't be able to do anything from inside a locked room, that was for sure.

In addition to thinking about the match, Yang's mind kept wandering back to her teammates. The horror in Blake's eyes, the disbelief in Weiss', the shock in Ruby's...

Nothing – not the intangible confusion and harsh ridicule, nor the physical blows she'd taken in the fight – had been more painful than seeing the looks in their eyes.

They hadn't known what to think, what to believe. They probably still didn't.

She just wanted to get out of there, so she could talk to them, try to explain things.

But... would they even _want_ to hear from her? Would they even trust her enough to let her within a hundred yards of themselves? Yang knew she wouldn't be able to blame them if they didn't. Not after what she'd done.

 _No!_ She corrected her thoughts _. I didn't do anything wrong. That's just what they wanted the rest of the world to see..._

A weighted groan tumbled out of her mouth as she hunched forward, gripping her head with both hands.

 _I can't believe this is happening... Why me...?_

She should've known by now that when she asked herself questions, someone else might be giving answers. That intrusive voice slipped its way back into her mind somehow.

 _'I tried to warn you...'_

"Shut _up_."

Growling, she lifted her face, needing a distraction, lest her thoughts consume her again. She already knew there was nothing in this room that could serve to effectively hold her attention for longer than a few seconds.

But there was one small stroke of luck in all this.

When she'd been swarmed and herded away to the point where she'd blacked out, then tossed in this room and locked away like some kind of criminal, the guards hadn't thought to check her pockets. Her scroll was still with her, and though it didn't have a lot of battery life left, there was enough for her to hold some kind of conversation.

But... with who?

She couldn't stop envisioning the looks on her teammates' faces, the horror in their eyes.

She tapped the screen and scrolled down to each of their names, but in the end couldn't bring herself to contact any of them. Not even her precious baby sister.

She liked to believe that Ruby would always be on her side. But after what Yang had supposedly done today, after what she'd seen in Ruby's expression...

She couldn't do it.

It wouldn't be fair of Yang to message any of them right now. She wasn't going to ask for forgiveness for something she didn't do, but that might be what they expected of her. If she messaged her team, they likely wouldn't know how to respond, and she didn't want to put them through any more emotional distress than she already had.

For a long while, she debated sending one of them a message, then the other, then the other. She watched her scroll's battery numbers drop three times before she ultimately decided to leave them be.

But she did need to talk to _someone_. And not just anyone.

She scrolled down until she spotted another familiar name, the name of the only person she felt might respond to her right now. She tapped on Pyrrha's contact and with trembling fingers, typed out a small, simple message:

 _ **Pyrrha... do you believe in destiny?**_

She sent it before she could change her mind.

She didn't think she'd get a response to such a cryptic message, at least not a serious one, and not so promptly.

But not a minute later, her scroll buzzed softly with a reply:

 _ **Actually, I do. What about you, Yang?**_

Her message read with a calm seriousness in Yang's mind. Pyrrha wasn't using exclamation marks or anything else that might suggest her usual peppiness. But she also wasn't referencing what had happened today. She was merely answering Yang's question.

And the fact that she'd asked one _back_ meant she was interested in a reply. It meant she wanted to _keep_ talking to Yang, to find out how she was doing.

Yang almost managed a smile as she typed back:

 _ **I never really thought I did. But recently... I've been having these... dreams... almost like visions or something. I don't know what's happening to me, Pyrrha. I think I'm going insane...**_

She would've felt foolish in admitting such things, especially so out-of-the-blue like this, and after everything that had happened. But she assumed everyone already thought she was crazy, so it wouldn't make a difference to say such outlandish things now.

She waited for a reply, expecting Pyrrha to agree that Yang really might be losing her mind, though she'd probably say it in a very gentle way.

But after a few minutes, Yang started to think Pyrrha might not respond at all.

With a sigh, she was just about to close her scroll and begin counting the panels on the ceiling when the device buzzed again. She realized Pyrrha had only taken so long to respond because her reply was extensive:

 _ **I don't think you're going insane, Yang. Honestly... I've had a lot of strange dreams, too, but I never tell anyone else. I don't want to worry them. I can never make sense of the dreams anyway, so there wouldn't be much to tell.**_

 _ **I just feel... like maybe there's something pulling the strings for me. And I feel trapped, maybe even helpless...**_

Yang read over the message.

The fact that Pyrrha was typing in such a nervous, timid manner, even though she could easily manipulate the text to sound confident if she'd wanted to, spoke volumes to Yang. It meant that Pyrrha _wanted_ to convey her misgivings and her feelings of doubt to Yang.

She could've made her message read confidently, but she didn't.

In a way, it was almost like she was venting to Yang, as she'd never been able to do so to anyone else before.

So Yang made sure to take every word to heart before giving her reply:

 _ **Yeah... I think I know what you mean. I'm starting to feel... kinda trapped, too. But I never knew you felt that way.**_

She waited again. Then:

 _ **It's not a recent feeling. It's sort of been like this all my life. But only recently has it felt so strong. Like I can't fight back no matter what I do...**_

Yang was admittedly shocked that she was hearing these things from Pyrrha of all people. The famous young champion was always so confident and gallant. Yang never would have suspected her to be feeling trapped and scared behind closed doors, and for her to even be keeping it a secret from her own teammates.

But she trusted _Yang_ enough with those feelings.

And Yang didn't intend to let her down.

 _ **Hey, I know this probably doesn't sound so convincing coming from me of all people right now... but I think things will be okay. Probably...**_

She sent this message and waited again, but this time received no reply.

Perhaps Pyrrha wasn't so convinced.

Yang typed up a little more:

 _ **Maybe... if you're not feeling so good about things right now, you should forfeit your match for the finals. I mean, if you really really feel unsettled or scared, just take a break from it all, you know?**_

She had second thoughts about sending that text, but she did so anyway.

Another several minutes of waiting. Then her scroll buzzed again:

 _ **Thank you, Yang. It means a lot to me that you'd say something like that. But I don't think I can pass up this momentous opportunity. Not when so many people are counting on me. And if it means anything to you, I believe you're innocent. Truly, I do.**_

For the first time since her match with Mercury had ended in disaster, Yang felt a flicker of hope and warmth rise up in her chest.

 _ **Thank you, Pyrrha.**_

That was when the tears started dripping down her cheeks. Some fell onto the screen, and she needed to wipe them away to read the reply.

 _ **Yang, if there's anything I can do for you... please let me know.**_

Yang didn't need to think twice about that:

 _ **Just... take care of yourself. If you can, make sure Ruby and the others are okay...**_

And then, the final message:

 _ **I'll do my best.**_

It wasn't a promise, but a hopeful ambition. At least this way, Pyrrha wouldn't be a liar if she couldn't go through with it.

Yang appreciated her honesty and her support.

She put her scroll aside and leaned back against the hard wall, closing her eyes. The tears still dribbled down, and she bit her lip to prevent herself from making any sounds.

 _God... What is happening? What the hell am I supposed to do from here...?_

It was a rhetorical question she'd asked herself in her mind. Alone in this room, she wasn't expecting to get an answer.

 _'There isn't much else you_ can _do anymore, I'm afraid...'_

Yang's eyes flew open wide as the very same voice from her nightmares sounded. But it wasn't just in her head this time.

It sounded like... like the other person was _there_ in the room with her.

Panicked, she flashed her gaze all around, but found no other occupants.

"Who's there? What the hell is going on?"

It seemed the voice didn't only respond to Yang's thoughts. It spoke back to her as if they were having a normal conversation.

 _'Come now, Yang. You know precisely who I am.'_

Yang wasn't sure if what happened next was her mind's own doing or not. An image of a woman with long black hair and red eyes flashed across the backs of her eyelids. Was it some kind of memory, conjured up from her past? Memories she'd thought she'd forgotten? Or was it another image imposed by _that person_ herself as her presence filled the room?

Yang didn't know. But the tears started flowing more quickly.

"M...Mom...?"

Her trembling voice was met with one lacking any concern or compassion.

 _'I've come to you this time to inform you that you've failed both of your tests, Yang. And twice is once too many. Now, I've got to take matters into my own hands.'_

Yang shook herself off, still looking around the room, almost expecting to see her.

"W-Wait!" She blurted out, but then lowered her voice, unsure if there were guards stationed outside her room. "What are you talking about? What do you mean by 'tests'?"

There was a pause, and the voice seemed to scoff.

 _'Really, Yang? After all I've shown you, you_ still _haven't figured it out? I should've known it would be a waste of time to try and show you...'_

"Show me what?" she demanded. "You mean, all those... those visions really _were_ from you? But what the hell do they mean? And how come-"

 _'You never were a very clever child,_ her mother snapped back. _As I said, I knew it was a stretch to try this with you now.'_

Yang ignored the pang those words sent through her chest, and returned them with a comment equally as acidic.

"Well _sorry_ I can't exactly interpret cryptic images I see in my sleep, which universally are classified as _dreams_ , which are things that don't typically _predict the damn future!_ "

As she was saying it out loud now, she suddenly understood exactly what those nightmares had been. She'd had inklings before, but had had no real reason to believe that the things she'd seen in her dreams and in reality had been anything more than coincidences.

But now...

Now it almost started to make sense, in a cruel, terrifying kind of way.

She'd seen Weiss consumed by fire in those visions, and then the next day, she'd been terribly burnt in their match.

And then, Yang had felt the pain for herself in her dreams.

First, it had been physical blows, as though she were being kicked all over. And Mercury had done that to her for real today.

And then, it had been the nauseating pain she couldn't explain in her dreams. She'd later recognized that to be the horror, shame, and helplessness that had come along with having the entire world turn against her for something she hadn't even done.

As everything clicked fully into place in her mind, her mother's voice lowered in pitch.

 _'It seems you're finally understanding that the things I've shown you weren't just for recreation. I had a purpose in giving you those dreams, and yet you ignored them and did nothing to prevent those events from coming true.'_

"Prevent...?" she repeated. "I... I could've prevented those things from happening...?"

 _'If you couldn't have, then would I have ever bothered to even warn you about them in the first place?'_

Yang lowered her gaze and tried to even out her breathing.

"What _is_ all of this? What's happening? And how can _you_ possibly know what's going to happen in the future?"

 _'I don't have the time to waste explaining those things to you.'_

Yang recalled the other things she'd seen in her nightmares. In addition to more immense pain on her own part, Ruby had been shot in the chest, Weiss had been eaten alive, Blake had been stabbed to death, and Pyrrha had disappeared altogether...

In the end all had gone up in smoke and darkness.

She shuddered violently, and bile rose up in her throat.

If the other things she'd seen in her dreams had come true already... then did that mean...?

She pressed a hand over her mouth and tried to swallow the acid back down, taking a few deep breaths.

 _No... They're all okay for now. Maybe I can still stop this..._

"Fine," she said aloud. "If you've... traveled through time or... predicted the future somehow, and everything you've shown me is... gonna come true... then what the hell am _I_ supposed to do to _prevent_ all those... _other_ things from happening..?"

Her mother's voice let out a sigh, but it sounded less like she was feeling regretful and more like she was irked in wasting so much time with this.

 _'Unfortunately, there's nothing more you can do about it. I've tried to give you the warnings, and you've ignored them.'_

"I didn't _ignore_ them!" Yang snapped. "I had no way of knowing they were _real_ -"

 _'Either way,'_ the voice cut her off. ' _You failed to prevent the first few things from happening. I started off small, and showed you how the heiress would get burnt. Nothing life-threatening. You could've stopped it, but it happened anyway. Next time she isn't going to be so lucky. Neither is your partner, or your friend, or...'_

There, she paused, and let out a genuine sigh of regret.

 _'Neither is your sister. Just the fact that she's Summer's daughter isn't going to save her from this.'_

Yang's heart was pounding as she listened.

All of those things she'd seen... were really going to happen...?

All of her teammates... her friends... her baby sister...

They were going to... _die?_

Unless _she_ did something to prevent it...?

 _'After that,'_ her mother went on. ' _I let you feel the pain that came along with the loss of your match today. If you'd taken action and done something to prevent losing, you wouldn't be locked in here right now like some criminal._

 _Those two visions were your first and_ only _tests. They didn't involve anyone dying, and no lives were at dire risk. If you could have prevented both or even just_ one _of those things from happening, I would've been able to trust you with the rest. But you failed them both, and I've seen enough_ _.'_

Yang couldn't comprehend everything right away. She needed a moment to think it all through and make sense of what she was hearing.

"So then..." She choked back a sob, wiping her hand over her mouth. "Then... if all of these things were going to happen... Why didn't you come to me sooner and explain it was all real? Why did you... let me believe they were just harmless dreams that wouldn't become reality? If you'd _told_ me right away it was all real, then I would've-!"

 _'You think I have the time and resources to simply come and converse with you whenever it's convenient? You think I can just give you all of the answers? No. That isn't how this works. I was barely able to send you those visions in the first place. Even now, I'm wasting valuable time and energy speaking to you._ _I tried to allow you to help, but you've proven that you're of no use to me. I'll just have to handle things on my own, as usual.'_

The fury and bitterness in her voice were enough to make Yang flinch. But she didn't back down.

"That's not fair. How was I supposed to know-"

 _'T_ _his is not about fairness! This is about preventing a genocide! This is about preserving the world as we know it! This is about-!'_

But it seemed she was about to say something she wasn't allowed to say, and she quickly cut herself off. The sense of dread and trepidation that washed over Yang in that moment was almost enough to suffocate her.

 _Preventing genocide...? Preserving the world as we know it...? What the hell is this...?_

For a moment, both mother and daughter composed themselves as best they could. Yang spoke first.

"So then... you gave me these visions... hoping I'd be able to interpret them somehow, and if I could prevent those things from happening, I'd be able to help you...?"

Another beat of bitter silence. Then:

 _'That was my goal, yes. But you-'_

"I failed. I get it... Weiss got hurt, and now I've gotten myself into this mess. It's all my fault. Fine. But... how do I prevent all those _other_ things from happening now...?"

Her mother's voice laughed dryly.

 _'Haven't you been listening to me at all? I can't provide you with answers. You need to think for yourself._

 _'But it doesn't matter anyway. Because as I've been telling you, you've failed. And I don't need you anymore. I'll take matters into my own hands and do what I have to. You're no longer needed.'_

"Wait!" Yang cried. "Now that I _know_ these things are... really going to come true, now I know there's something I can _do_ to help prevent all of it! So I _can_ help you!"

 _'From inside this cell?'_ she countered. ' _I don't think so. I've only come here to tell you that you don't need to concern yourself anymore. I'll save little Ruby and your teammates for you, and I'll save the rest of Remnant while I'm at it. Just don't blame me for the sacrifices that'll need to be made in the process.'_

A foreboding chill shot up Yang's spine.

Her mother was going to prevent Ruby, Weiss, and Blake from dying...

But...

"What do you mean... _sacrifices_...?"

Once again, the voice heaved a growl of a sigh.

 _'You know exactly what that means. In order for the majority to survive, there must be smaller sacrifices made. Though in this case, I suppose it's a rather large one...'_

"Who?" Yang demanded. "Who... has to die in order for everyone else to live?"

The pause this time was much longer. Had Yang not been able to sense her mother's presence, she might've thought she'd gone. But the reply came soon enough.

 _'I thought I'd made that_ quite _obvious, dear.'_

"Tell me!"

 _'That temper of yours... It might be part of what held you back from stopping the demise of the young champion...'_

Yang's throat closed up.

"...Pyrrha...?"

 _'It's a shame. If you'd been able to pass those first few simple tests, I would've let you help her find a way to live. But as things are now, she simply must die. No; she_ will _die. That's a given. It's unavoidable. All we can decide now is how, when, and by who's hand._

 _'You see, that girl... has a very special destiny ahead of her. One that could decide the fate of the world. But with all this trouble brewing, someone's bound to figure it out, and be after her life. In fact, they already are._

 _'I'll be blunt; if she doesn't die before they can get to her, we're all doomed. That's why she needs to die before that happens. If she goes, everyone else will be spared. Isn't that what she'd want, anyway?'_

The words echoed clearly around the room, but Yang tried to refuse to let them into her head. She didn't want to hear them. She didn't want to believe them...

But if the visions she'd seen become reality in just the past two days meant anything at all...

Then Pyrrha's fate was already sealed.

"No..." A growl worked its way up the back of her throat. She grit her teeth despite the tears that tumbled down. "Why Pyrrha...? It doesn't have to be her. Why not-"

 _'Take you instead? A useless offer that would yield no beneficial results for anyone whatsoever. It's got to be her, and there's good reason for it. As I said, she's got a special destiny to fulfill.'_

"By dying?!"

 _'By_ not _dying at the wrong hands!'_ her mother snapped. ' _As I've said, she has to die, but if I can kill her before they get to her, the calamity can be avoided.'_

"W... What did you say...?" Yang mumbled. The hollow pit that had already formed in her stomach only seemed to expand into a gaping abyss full of dread. "You... _You're_ going to... kill Pyrrha...?"

'... _Isn't that what I said? There's no other way now.'_

At the very least, she didn't sound like she was going to enjoy it. But Yang refused to accept it.

"So you're saying... If I'd understood sooner that the things I'd seen would eventually become reality, I could've... saved her...?"

 _'Yes.'_

"But... But I understand that now, don't I? And Pyrrha's still alive. So... So I can still save her, right?"

 _'Do tell me how,'_ her mother scoffed. ' _When you've gone and gotten yourself thrown into solitary confinement? I gave you those visions in that order for a reason, not only because that's how they'd happen, but because that's how you could've stopped her dying._

 _'Your teammate getting burnt should have proven to you right away that you'd need to take this seriously. If you could've avoided the illusions in your match today, you wouldn't be stuck in here right now, and you'd be able to go save that girl._

 _'But now, you're trapped, and if I don't kill her myself, then your sister, your teammates, and a lot of other people are going to die when the worst of people enact their plans. That's why I'm going to kill her. Tonight. I'll put an end to all of this.'_

The voice was beginning to fade now. Yang didn't know where her mother was physically, but she could teleport to almost any location at will.

Which meant she'd be going to Pyrrha next, to kill her, before anyone else could...

Her death would prevent a devastating tragedy...

"No..."

Yang called her mother's presence back with that single word. It worked.

 _'Excuse me? I believe our conversation here is over, Yang. This is the only way now.'_

"Is it?" she challenged. "I don't think it is. And neither do you. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come here to tell me all of this. You wouldn't have wasted your precious 'time and resources'. You would've just gone to kill Pyrrha without saying a word to me.

"But you didn't. You came here, to _me_ , and explained everything. You made sure I understood how real and dire all of this is. Because you _know_ I can still do something about it. You wouldn't have bothered to have come to me at all if you didn't think there was still something I could do."

Again, her mother was silent. But Yang knew she was still there.

A moment later, her voice echoed again.

 _'What do you want, Yang?'_

Now, she had a definite answer.

"Time. Give me one more day to save Pyrrha. I'll do it."

 _'...Unfortunately, my understanding is that the people who are after her life plan to act as early as tomorrow. Which is why she needs to die tonight.'_

"Then give me as much time as you can," Yang insisted. "If there's absolutely nothing I can do to change things, then... then you should intervene at the last second. Kill Pyrrha before they do." It was sickening to say, but she needed to be strong about this. "But I won't let that happen. I'll do something. I'll save her somehow, so you won't have to kill her."

She lifted her face and looked directly to the space where her mother's voice was coming from. "No one has to die for this, Mom. And if you didn't believe that, you never would have come to me tonight."

The silence dragged on for a long time now. Yang thought her mother had really left this time. But just before she relinquished that final shred of hope, she heard that voice one more time.

 _'You have fewer than twenty-four hours, Yang. Don't make me regret this.'_

And then she was gone.

Yang sat there in silence. Her mind was buzzing, her heart was pounding. If not for those things, she might've neglected to realize that all of that had _actually_ just happened.

Fear and determination battled within her chest, both seeking to override the other.

 _I have... less than a day... If I can't save Pyrrha, then everyone I care about is going to die. Either I can lose everyone, I can lose just Pyrrha, or... I don't have to lose anyone. It's up to me._

Of those three options, it was no contest as to which result she wanted.

That was her dream now, and if all of this was any indication, her mother had shown her that dreams really could come true, sometimes in the worst of ways.

But this was Yang's vision now, one she'd created for herself; for _no one_ to have to die.

Now she just needed to figure out how to make _that_ dream a reality.

* * *

 **A/N: So yes, Yang got to voice her frustrations about not knowing the visions were real and prophetic. Many of you were as miffed about that as she was. But Raven works in mysterious, indifferent ways. Now for Yang to try and figure out how to do this.**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	5. Chapter 4 - Nightmares Become Reality

**This chapter will take some things directly from the show, as you'll see, but some will be totally original twists. Brace yourselves.**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 4. When Nightmares Become Reality

Yang didn't intend to fall asleep.

She merely leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes, wanting to rest herself just for a few minutes. She needed to get out of here as quickly as possible, and she didn't have time to spare sleeping.

But she knew she'd have to rest herself just a bit. After all, she had an impossibly daunting task and an incredibly uncertain future ahead of herself.

So for now, she simply tried to collect her thoughts, letting everything she'd just learned sink in.

 _I've gotta get out of here... and get to Pyrrha somehow. I don't know what I can do, but... But I'll have to prevent her from getting killed, be it by my mom or anyone else... According to my mom, whoever had originally planned to kill her wanted to do it tomorrow..._

She blinked one eye open and glanced down at her scroll. She must've been chatting with her mother for hours already, because it was early morning now. The tournament's matches for the day would be starting soon.

 _Shit... Whatever's gonna happen is gonna happen soon. But theoretically, if I can just... get Pyrrha away somehow, she can't be killed, right? If the people who want to kill her are here, then if I bring her somewhere else, they can't do it._

She decided that would have to be her plan for now, that after she somehow got herself out of here, she'd find Pyrrha and take her away. Where to, she didn't know, especially since the stadium was on a giant levitating air ship.

 _I'll figure something out. I have to..._

She tried planning things out in her mind, envisioning every single thing she might be able to do, while also trying to anticipate things that could go wrong or try to thwart her.

As soon as she broke out of here, the authorities would be after her. So she'd need to outrun them and avoid being detained, and at the same time she'd possibly have to interrupt one of the most highly-anticipated tournament matches.

If she wasn't already in enough trouble now, she'd soon be in a lot more.

But... if she could save Pyrrha's life, and thus the lives of her teammates and many others, Yang thought she'd be able to forgive herself.

But just envisioning it all caused her line of thinking to get jumbled and exhausting. Without her knowing, she actually did fall unconscious into sleep.

When she next woke, she panicked and checked her scroll to discover it was almost noon.

 _Shit... God damn it, I'm such an idiot!_

She jumped up from the creaking bed, shoved her scroll into her pocket, and didn't waste another second.

Her plan was to cause a ruckus in here, anything to get the guards' attention on her just long enough for them to open the doors.

At the very least, her gauntlets had yet to be confiscated.

She didn't plan to use them if she didn't have to, especially since she didn't want to hurt people who were just trying to do their jobs. But if it became necessary, she'd do whatever she needed to in order to save Pyrrha and the others.

She faced the locked door and squared her shoulders, taking in a deep, steadying breath. Then, she let loose at the top of her lungs.

"Hey! Can't a girl get a glass of water around here? Or some toast or something? How long do you guys plan on keeping me here without even hearing me out first?"

She knew that if someone had been stationed just outside the door that they'd be able to hear her if she shouted like this. She crossed her arms impatiently, forced to wait a few more minutes for a response.

As she'd been hoping, the door was soon unlocked and opened. A guard stepped in with a tray of food on one arm.

"Calm down. It's not like we weren't going to give you something to eat. You're a student, after all."

"Well, you sure took your sweet time," she scoffed.

He placed the tray down onto a small table and glanced around the room.

"Y'know, you could turn the lights on at least."

"I'll do whatever I want," she said curtly.

"Suit yourself. General Ironwood and your headmaster plan to oversee the matches today, and then they'll be around to speak to you."

Yang's stomach did a flip.

 _That'll be too late. I need to get out of here now._

"Fine," she replied. "Guess I'll just sit here like some criminal in a cage."

The man grimaced behind his helmet, but said nothing more as he turned to leave. He seemed to be alone, and Yang knew she easily could have subdued him by herself.

But she needed to be smarter than that.

Just as the door was closing, she grabbed her scroll from her pocket and slid it across the floor. It lodged perfectly beneath the door, making it look as though it had closed all the way, when in reality it was slightly ajar.

Her first plan had been a success.

This way, she wouldn't have to knock out a guard and start running. Now, she could spare a moment to actually eat the food she'd been brought, which was probably a good idea, considering what she had ahead of herself. She ate everything and downed the entire bottle of water before returning to the door.

Slowly, she opened it, peering outside to discover there was no one else there. She bent down to pick up her scroll, then cautiously began slipping out. She pulled the door closed behind herself.

If no one planned to see her until after the matches today, then no one was going to check on her until then. All she needed to do was stay out of sight, at least until she'd achieved her main objective of finding Pyrrha.

She moved quickly but quietly down the hallways, always checking to see if anyone else was there first before rounding a corner.

Another challenge she faced was transportation.

After the incident, she'd been flown back down to Beacon Academy. But the stadium now hovered high above her. She'd need to board and air ship to get there. It was going to take time and it was going to be risky. This entire operation would be.

But she'd come this far. She couldn't give up now.

It seemed that everyone at Beacon – students, guards, and administration alike – were all either at the tournament to observe, or were watching its live broadcast, because Yang didn't run into a single person on her way out of the building. And there was already an air ship at the docks, just about to depart.

She hurried on-board, doing her best not to draw any attention. There were only a few other people inside, people who were merely citizens of Vale or other kingdoms. They'd been crowded around the television on-board the ship, where the tournament was being broadcast live. They all recoiled a bit upon seeing her, and she didn't miss the panicked whispers.

"Hey, isn't that the girl who-"

"It she even allowed to be here?"

"I thought they locked her away?"

"They released her? Maybe she's innocent then...?"

"I haven't heard any official news yet. But maybe..."

She kept her distance from them, and was glad none of them seemed eager to call the authorities on her. For now, she just tried to appear as normal as possible.

She stood with her hands behind her back and hummed innocently to herself, gazing out the window like any excited teenager would.

Her ride to the stadium was uneventful, but she knew that would probably be the last thing that was.

As the ship was landing, Yang was ready to be the first one off. But the television caught her attention, as did the voices of the other people on-board.

"It's Pyrrha Nikos! She's been selected to fight in the next match!"

"Against... huh, I've never seen that girl before. But she's cute."

"This should be a good match. Let's hurry up and go so we can see it in-person!"

As everyone else hurried off the ship to get a seat in the actual stadium, Yang lingered.

 _Shit... Pyrrha's fighting already? And who-_

She turned to look at the television, seeing Pyrrha's picture displayed on one half of the screen. And on the other half was another familiar face.

Yang's stomach started churning all over again.

"Penny...?"

How was she going to do this? How was she going to stop an official match that was already underway? She'd wasted too much time already. What if she was just... too late...?

 _No! This isn't over yet! I can still save her!_

She whipped around and raced off the ship, taking off as quickly as she possibly could.

She reached the fairgrounds in a matter of seconds. Most of the shops and stands had televisions and were also showing the live footage of the current match. Yang could hear the choppy voices of her professors as they announced every single thing that was happening, as well as the reactions of the crowds.

She could faintly gather that things were still going normally for the moment; it seemed both girls were getting an equal portion of the fight narrated in their favor. Neither had been knocked out yet.

Yang still had time...

She kept running, thankful for the fact that the few people who were sitting here instead of at the match itself were too preoccupied with the program to notice her.

She was honestly a little surprised Pyrrha had gone through with the match. After their private conversation last night, Yang had thought her friend was hesitant, and perhaps that her own words of comfort had made the champion consider a forfeit. After all, Pyrrha had confessed she'd felt trapped by her destiny, and she hadn't seemed all too confident about fighting today.

But clearly, she had too many people counting on her, too many expectations to uphold. She couldn't let them down.

Even if it meant making sacrifices on her own part.

 _She's too damn selfless!_

Yang could hear the roar of the crowds now as she neared the stadium. She knew the guards here would actually be doing their jobs, so she was fully prepared to fight her way in if necessary.

But she paused at the nearest food stand just for a minute, in order to catch her breath and get her bearings of what she was about to do. The television there was showing the match, and she couldn't stop herself from looking up.

"My, this is simply incredible!" Dr. Oobleck was saying. "I daresay they both appear to be equally matched!"

"For now," said Professor Port. "But someone's got to give eventually! Who will it be?"

Yang watched as Pyrrha and Penny faced off.

Even in the face of Penny's massive army of swords, Pyrrha never faltered.

And even when faced with Pyrrha's most infamous of skills, Penny never stumbled.

They would exchange a few blows, but for the most part, the majority of each girls' attacks was skillfully dodged.

It reassured Yang just a little. Both of them were still okay. She could still make it-

"Oh my word! What's this?"

Dr. Oobleck's shocked voice prevented Yang from tearing off just yet. Immediately, she turned her attention back to the screen.

Pyrrha had gone still now, opting to use something other than her weapons and her agility. Yang had seen her activate her semblance many times before, but for some reason, seeing her do it now was awfully chilling.

She had a terrible, terrible feeling.

She needed to move, to get into that stadium and prevent whatever was just about to happen.

But she was too late.

Pyrrha's semblance traveled along and highlighted Penny's otherwise-invisible threads that connected her to her blades. Through impressive concentration, Pyrrha managed to manipulate the wires until they were tangled around their owner.

Penny was rendered immobilized, as shock jolted into her eyes. Pyrrha would definitely win now.

But before anyone could declare the match, something... happened.

Penny's expression began to contort, but it didn't look natural at all. Rather, it looked as though someone were rapidly flicking a switch. Different emotions flashed across her face, and her limbs began to twist and turn at every joint, in ways that should've been impossible.

The crowds on-screen and the people watching around Yang all started to gasp and murmur in horror. Her own heart started to sink to the pit of her stomach.

"What the hell... is going on...?"

She could see it in Pyrrha's face that she was equally as baffled. Clearly, she hadn't been doing anything that would warrant such a reaction from Penny. She'd merely been trying to immobilize her, not hurt her like this.

Pyrrha shrieked, a sound that struck a chord of trepidation through Yang's chest.

She watched as Pyrrha stepped away and called off her semblance. The invisible strings around Penny flashed red, then vanished.

And the girl crumpled to the ground in a steaming, twisted pile of limbs. Not at all like a human girl should.

It was much more like...

Like a malfunctioning _machine_.

Yang felt her stomach heave as she and the rest of Remnant were temporarily silenced into a state of total disbelief and fear.

 _What... the hell...? Penny is a...?_

She couldn't fathom it. Couldn't comprehend it.

Ever since she'd met the girl, Penny had always been a bit peculiar.

But a... a _robot_...?

It was beyond her comprehension.

And clearly, it was beyond everyone else's, too.

Pyrrha staggered back, hands raised to her mouth in shock before she collapsed to her knees.

And despite how distraught Yang herself was about Penny, she needed to focus on her main objective. If she didn't get Pyrrha out of there _quickly_ , more people were going to die. Pyrrha herself included.

So in a world where everyone else had temporarily been frozen, Yang tore off like a bolt of lightning. Fury, shock, and fear all coursed off of her, and the atmosphere all around was growing heavier by the second.

Everyone was in dismay, despair, horror. It was almost suffocating...

And then it got worse.

Much, much worse.

Yang was vaguely aware of the stunned voices of her professors over the intercom, frantically trying to cut the broadcast and audio. But their distressed voices were soon cut off by a contrastingly calm, almost suave female voice that spoke for all of Remnant to hear:

 _"This is not a tragedy. This was not an accident. This is what happens when you hand over your trust, your safety, your children, to men who claim to be our guardians. But are, in reality, nothing more than men."_

The speech carried around the entire stadium, calm and controlled. Yang recognized the speaker by her voice, but there was little good that would do her now.

However, the gnarled knot in her stomach told her one thing for sure.

That this was the beginning of the end.

That these were the people who were going to kill Pyrrha.

"No..."

 _"Our academies' headmasters wield more power than most armies, and one was audacious enough to control both. They cling to this power in the name of peace. And yet... what do we have here? One nation's attempt at a synthetic army mercilessly torn apart by another's star pupil. What need would Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent little girl? I don't think the Grimm can tell the difference. And what, I ask you, is Ozpin teaching his students? First a dismemberment, now this?"_

Yang flinched at the reference to her own match.

But now she understood.

She _had_ been framed. She'd been used by these people in order to set an example, and degrade Beacon, Ozpin. At the very least, she now knew for _certain_ that she'd been right, and that she was innocent. That fueled her fire just a little bit more in all of this.

The voice continued:

 _"Huntsmen and huntresses should carry themselves with honor and mercy. Yet I have witnessed neither. Perhaps Ozpin felt as though defeating Atlas in the tournament would help people forget his colossal failure to protect Vale when the Grimm invaded its streets. Or perhaps... this was his message to they tyrannical dictator that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces._

 _"Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong. But I know that the existence of peace is fragile, and the leaders of our kingdoms conduct their business with iron gloves. As someone who hails from Mistral, I can assure you, the situation there is... equally undesirable. Our kingdoms are at the brink of war, yet we, the citizens, are left in the dark._

 _"So I ask you: when the first shots are fired, who do you think you can trust?"_

As the speech came to a finite end, there was a single beat of silence.

And then, chaos.

The alarms started blaring, and the protective barrier that had been shielding the stadium began to falter.

Seconds later, the whirring of an army of air ship engines cut through the skies.

Gasping, Yang looked up, expecting to see enemy soldiers dropping from them.

But what fell from the ships were a hundred times worse than soldiers.

Grimm.

Someone had herded them into the ships, and now they were releasing them.

Into a stadium filled with people.

Beowulves, Ursai, Borbatusk...

And then the winged beasts joined in. Nevermores and Griffons swirled in menacing circles high above them all, then began to dive.

Snarling and screeching, the monsters all dropped through the air, into masses of unsuspecting, and in most cases, defenseless people.

Yang heard the screams only seconds later.

"Oh god... no, no, no!"

She hurried forward, feeling as though she were going to vomit. Her legs were shaking so badly they barely kept her up. Only the fierce adrenaline pumping through her allowed her to keep moving.

 _Shit! I'm too late! I'm too late!_

Just as she neared the entrance, the doors burst open the other way. Crowds of screaming, shouting people poured out and stampeded her way, forcing her back. She had no other option than to turn and run with them.

She did her best to arc around in an effort to escape the masses and get back to the stadium.

But it was no use.

The Grimm were already swarming all around them. Most of the people who had attended the tournament today had been nothing more than ordinary citizens. Only a fraction of people here actually knew how to fight and defend themselves, and Yang was one of them.

She had no choice but to face the beasts and try to fend them off now, to keep them away from the innocents.

 _Goddamn it!_

She hurled punch after punch, firing bullets and flames alike as she took down the first of many beasts to come.

 _I don't have time for this! If I don't find Pyrrha now, then-!_

A blood-curdling roar sounded from behind her, and massive paws shook the ground. She whipped around to find an Ursa Major trampling its way towards her.

Yang jumped, allowing it to crash into a wolf. She aimed herself at the Ursa's back, slamming her gauntlets down into the spikes to splinter them to pieces. These she used to slash and stab the beast to death, then hurled one directly through the wolf's skull. Spitting and cursing, she landed on solid ground again, only to find more beasts coming.

 _Shit! She's gonna kill Pyrrha-! I have to find her!_

But she couldn't just let these people die either.

She had not choice but to continue fighting, screaming in fury, allowing her fear and adrenaline to give her power. She used that rage to fight, channeling every helpless, hopeless thought into bullets and punches.

 _I can't let this happen! I can't let it end this way! I can't let them kill her-!_

"Ah-!"

She let her guard down and took a blow from a wolf's claws, only barely managing to put her arm up to block her face. Stumbling, she was temporarily blinded and disoriented.

 _Shit, shit-!_

But instead of more claws and teeth tearing into her flesh, she felt nothing.

When she next looked up, she saw that some of the guards and authorities had finally made it to help fight off the beasts. While some directed the citizens to a safer path, others fired their guns at the monsters.

Yang opted to stagger back for a moment and let them handle this as she caught her breath.

Images of her nightmare flashed through her mind once more. Her mother had warned her about what would happen if Yang failed to save Pyrrha on time.

Now that she recalled the visions, Yang remembered something important, but sickeningly worrisome.

Pyrrha's disappearance... had been the _last_ thing she'd witnessed.

Before she'd seen Pyrrha vanish before her eyes...

She'd seen Blake bleed out, Weiss torn apart, Ruby stabbed...

If she'd truly failed to save Pyrrha, then that meant...

"Oh no..."

Yang instantly turned away and started to run.

"No... oh god, no..."

 _That means-_

"No, no, no-"

- _my teammates-_

"No... NO!"

- _are gonna be the first ones to die._

* * *

 **A/N: If this seems haphazard, that's because it is. In case it wasn't clear, Yang went to try and find Pyrrha in hopes that she could save her before shit hit the fan. But once Penny was defeated and Cinder started talking, that meant Yang could no longer prevent Cinder's plan from initiating.**

 **If she could've saved Pyrrha before Cinder's plan was enacted, she could've saved everyone's lives then and there. But now that Cinder's plan is already underway, Yang's visions will become reality. So she can't focus on Pyrrha anymore. Her teammates are going to die first.** **I hope that makes things clear, since I can't explicitly state it in the story itself.**

 **It's only going to get worse from here. I hope you're ready.**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	6. Chapter 5 - Bloodbath

**This is where we really begin to branch off from the show. Everyone is in different locations than we knew them to be in during the show, but I'll still be keeping up with essentially what happens to them, to some degree...**

 **If you like my work, please consider supporting me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

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Chapter 5. Bloodbath

She needed to find her teammates.

She wasn't sure how precise her visions had been, but her gut was telling her to trust them.

She'd seen Blake go down first, followed by Weiss, then Ruby, and finally Pyrrha. So that meant Yang needed to find her partner first.

The last time Yang had seen her teammates, they'd been stunned into horrified silence in their seats in the stadium. But if Yang knew anything, it was that her friends and sister would be fighting these Grimm now, in hopes of saving lives.

But where the hell could they be?

She didn't know why she'd decided to run in the opposite direction from the stadium, but she wasn't about to stop trusting her instincts now. Something told her that her teammates weren't in the arena anymore. They'd probably escaped from another set of exits and were elsewhere, ensuring they didn't trap themselves in an enclosed area to fight.

There was chaos all around her though, and Yang hadn't the slightest clue of where to start searching for them. Grimm were howling and screeching, people were screaming in terror, all against a constant background noise of whirring airships and unflagging gunfire. The Grimm that weren't swooping in with their own two wings were still being dropped out of the sky.

It was a living nightmare.

But Yang knew for a fact it could – and _would_ – get much, much worse unless she found her teammates quickly.

She swerved to avoid an oncoming boar and took cover behind an abandoned food stand. Frantically, she pulled out her scroll. There were no messages, but she tried not to let that worry her.

She swiped to the screen that allowed her to track her teammates via their scrolls. Ruby's wasn't anywhere within range, so she must have been back at Beacon or in Vale. Yang wouldn't consider any other options.

But luckily, Blake and Weiss seemed to be together. Hopefully, that would make her helping them a little bit easier.

And they weren't too far away, either.

She pocketed her scroll and took off once again, firing round after round of bullets and punches as she went, breaking canine jaws and avian beaks alike.

Strangely, it was almost _easier_ to keep her cool during all of this panic and disorder. Security breaches and Grimm attacks were things she'd handled several times before. She'd rather deal with this than the potential deaths of everyone she cared about.

With a good general idea of where Blake and Weiss should be, Yang kept running. She only ever engaged with the Grimm if they instigated her first, or if there was someone nearby in dire need of assistance. But for the most part she focused on running and on searching.

However, somewhere along the lines, she realized Grimm weren't her only enemies anymore.

Mingled amongst the herds of bloodthirsty monsters were people. But they weren't trying to kill the Grimm. They were trying to kill other people.

Yang's heart screeched to a halt as she recognized the masks of the White Fang.

 _So they're in on this too? Damn it!_

She would've loved to take out every last one of them. But there were too many here, and she'd have to go through a few dozen more Grimm to get to them.

Besides, she needed to stay focused on her main objective. She needed to find Blake.

For now, she felt the other huntsman and security personnel could handle the citizens' safety.

She didn't stop running, but a poignant chill ran up her spine when she thought about how her partner might react to having the group she'd formerly associated herself with here at their doorstep now, amidst all this turmoil.

Yang didn't know how much time she had left. She didn't know how much time Pyrrha - or _any_ of them - had left, for that matter. For all Yang knew, her mother could very well be on her way to kill Pyrrha right now, before anyone else could.

She still had so many questions: Why Pyrrha? Why now? Who was behind all of this?

But answers would need to wait.

A particularly boisterous battle scene came into her line of sight. Several masked people were charging at a lone huntress, but while she was outnumbered, they were outmatched.

Yang felt a surge of relief rush through her at the sight of her partner.

But the White Fang members clearly weren't so thrilled.

There were five of them, all shooting at her. Even from here, Yang could hear them spouting curses:

"Traitor!"

"You'll pay for your treason!"

"Throwing yourself at the humans' feet! You've got no dignity left anyway!"

"You should thank us for killing you!"

Blake didn't retaliate. She only utilized her clones and her abilities to fend them off, effectively knocking one unconscious and avoiding the blows of the other four.

With a final burst of speed, Yang reached her partner's side and punched out a Faunus man who'd been sneaking up on her. Blake gasped and whipped around, the shock in her eyes quickly fading into relief.

"Yang! You're here! H-How did you-"

"I'll explain later!" she said quickly. "Where's Weiss? I saw you guys together on the tracker just now."

"She went off alone so we could cover more ground." Blake replied, then engaged in combat with two of the White Fang members again. Yang took on the other one, once more using her worry to fuel her rage.

 _Shit... Now I'll have to go find Weiss after this. But I've gotta focus on Blake first!_

As she fought, she tried to remember what she'd seen in her dream. How Blake had met her end in those visions.

 _It was... a sword-_

"Ah-!"

Yang had just finished twisting her opponent's arm back until it snapped when she heard her partner scream. Whirling around, she scoured the area for her.

"Blake?!"

Yang feared it had happened when her back had been turned, that she'd allowed Blake to be murdered just a few feet away from her.

But when she spotted Blake, she was still standing, and the blood splattered on her clothes clearly wasn't her own. But she was frozen in place, rooted to the ground, her eyes wide in horror.

Yang flashed her eyes to the person she was looking at.

A tall, dark-clad man in a red-lined mask emerged from the surrounding chaos. He treaded slowly, calmly, as though he were going to meet an old friend for lunch.

Blake's defenses were down. She was in shock, too terrified to move. She was utterly petrified.

Yang knew who this man was long before Blake rasped his name:

"Adam...?"

He laughed cruelly, and unsheathed a long, crimson blade.

"Hello, _my darling_. It's been a while."

He was advancing with a threatening slowness, but even so Blake didn't budge.

Part of Yang wanted to shout out to her to move.

But then she realized her own position. She was behind this man. If he was entirely focused on Blake, then maybe she could-

"Argh-!"

A hard blow struck the back of her head, and she crashed to the ground, dirt and grass smearing her face. A heavy boot smashed down on her spine and pinned her.

"Not so fast, girly," the White Fang subordinate laughed. "Now you get to see what Adam does to traitors. He's been searching for _that_ one for a looong time. Bet he'll make it slow."

Yang spat and tried to shove herself up, but to no avail.

"Damn it-! Blake! Get out of here!"

"Oh, not so fast," Adam said cooly. He paused just a few feet away from his old partner, then turned to look down at Yang. She couldn't see his eyes through the slits in his mask, but even so another chill shot up her spine. He grinned at the sight of her, defenseless in the mud. Then, he directed his attention back to Blake.

"They way I see it, you've got a few options here, my dear." He began circling Blake like a vulture, dragging his sword in the dirt, carving a cage of a circle around her. "First, you could try to run. See how far you get. You've always been a _coward_."

He spat the word, and Yang watched as Blake flinched and staggered back, hugging herself as she began to tremble.

Again, Yang attempted to free herself, but was met with another kick to the back. Adam paid her no heed and simply continued to speak.

"Second, you could try to oppose me. But then I'd have to subdue you and make you watch what I'll do to your pretty friend over there."

He nodded to Yang, and she snarled back at him.

"Try it, you bastard! I'll break your fucking neck!"

"Oh, feisty, isn't she?" he said, stepping in closer to Blake. He raised his blade to her chin and let it run lightly along her skin. She could only stay still, like a lamb headed for the slaughter. "I like them with a bit of life in them," Adam went on. " _You_ used to be that way. That's what I loved about you, Blake."

Yang raised her voice once again.

" _Shut up,_ you bastard!"

"Hey!" Adam rounded on her, but addressed the man restraining her. "Could you keep her quiet? I'm speaking."

"Yes, sir!" With his answer, Yang's captor silenced her with a brutal kick to the face this time.

Blake broke out of her trance for a second to call out for her.

" _Yang_ -! Adam, stop it-!"

"Oh? You really like her, don't you? Then you wouldn't do anything to make me hurt her, right? You'd have to watch the whole thing, after all. You never _were_ one for violence, Blake."

He stepped closer now, and Yang's stomach churned with acid as Blake was forced to let him reach out and touch her face.

"Your third and final option," he went on. "Would be to-"

A sudden roar cut him off as an Ursa trampled its way towards Blake's exposed back.

"No!" Yang closed her eyes, fearing Adam would feed her to it.

But instead, one red slash of his blade killed the monster on the spot, and its corpse dropped to the ground and disintegrated. Clearly, he wanted the pleasure of killing Blake all to himself.

"As I was saying," he continued. "Your _final_ option is to let me have you. I'll do as I please with you, my love. I'll take my time. I'll show you what I do to traitors. And I'll let your _new_ partner live. Sounds good, right? Either way, at least one of you needs to die. But this is the only option where _both_ of you don't have to."

He finally stopped pacing, coming to a stop right in front of her. He used his blade to lift her chin once more, and sneered down into her face.

"So... what will it be, my darling?"

Yang wheezed out a breath and forced her voice to work.

"No... Blake-!" She looked up past the blood and the dirt to catch her partner's eyes.

Blake was terrified beyond explanation or description.

Yang could see it in her eyes. Every last one of the old demons she'd been running from all these years had finally caught up to her. There was nowhere left to run. She was trapped.

Blake held her partner's gaze. Yang watched as she slowly shook her head, and the tears started falling.

"Yang... I'm so sorry..."

"Well?" Adam growled. "What's your answer, Blake? One...?"

He pointed his blade at Yang, then at Blake.

"Two...?"

He next pointed solely at Yang.

"Or three...?"

Finally, he pointed only at Blake herself.

Blake flashed Yang one last silent apology with her eyes. Then, she turned to him.

"You... know my answer."

"Blake, _no_ -"

But Yang's plea went unnoticed.

Adam reached out to grab Blake's chin and forced her to look up at him.

"Not good enough, Blake. I want to hear you say it."

As he spoke, he used his free hand to ready his sword. He positioned the blade at the center of her chest. Then, with meticulous slowness, he began to push it forward.

Blake flinched and whimpered, but he didn't stop, even when the tip of the blade cut through her clothes and pushed onward to meet flesh.

"Well?" he demanded. "I'm waiting."

Yang would've rather watched the world burn around her than witness this.

"Blake... no..."

But Blake gave her answer, softly, but surely.

 _"_ Take _me."_

Adam grinned.

"With pleasure."

He pulled back his arm and his blade along with it, then aimed for her heart.

"No..."

Yang writhed violently beneath her captor. Every fiber of her being was on fire now, fury and fear mixing together to form the ultimate adrenaline rush.

"No..."

Her eyes lit up like flames, and her body surged with torrid energy.

 _"GET AWAY FROM HER!"_

With an outraged cry, she surged to her feet, threw her captor aside, and lunged at Adam.

She wasn't too sure what happened next.

She didn't know if it was her semblance, or her unbridled rage, or something else. But she found herself with both fists on Adam's arm, yanking him aside just as he was plunging his sword forward.

His blade sliced into Blake's side, but nothing more.

In a blind rage, Yang threw him aside with all her might, and the next thing she knew, she and Blake were running.

Her partner was sobbing, breathing heavily as she held onto her wounded side with one hand and Yang with the other. Yang didn't stop running with her, but she did spare a second to look back.

All of the despair and fear that had been coursing off of them both had attracted a large mass of Grimm.

Grimm that were now Adam's problem.

They didn't stop running. Not until their legs gave out.

Yang made sure to pull Blake aside behind another one of the abandoned food stands, out of sight of any Grimm or other enemies before they collapsed.

Blake was clutching her side with both hands now, and blood was oozing out in a steady flow.

Yang slipped an arm around her back to support her. She pressed her hand gently over Blake's where they rested on her wound.

"Blake... Blake... hey..." She sniffled a little, then cleared her throat. "Blake... let me see it. C'mon..."

Her partner blinked up at her, her lashes fluttering as though she were being blinded by some bright light. She grimaced and flinched, but slowly moved her hands aside.

"It's... It's not that bad..."

Yang could see that Blake's aura was already beginning to mend the injury. It was long, but not too deep, nor did it appear to have struck any vital areas to be considered life-threatening.

Yang closed her eyes briefly and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Thank god..."

She covered Blake's wound and shared a bit of her aura with her. Blake squirmed in her arms in protest.

"Yang, don't... save your aura... You'll need it..."

Yang knew she was right. This was only the first of many things she still needed to do.

So she cut off her aura, knowing Blake's own would handle the rest.

The world was still in ruins around them. But they took that moment just to wrap their arms around one another, and cry.

"Yang..." Blake was shaking with little hiccups as she clung to her partner's shoulders. "I'm so sorry... He-"

"Hey, it's all right. Don't worry about it, Blake. Don't be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong."

Yang stroked through her hair a few times, feeling for herself as the blood finally stopped leaking from Blake's hip. Her partner choked on a small sob as they parted, her golden eyes distraught.

"Thank you, Yang... You saved my life."

Her words struck a chord within Yang.

She... She'd really done it.

She'd really saved Blake.

She'd _changed_ what she'd seen in her nightmare.

She'd changed _fate_.

A small, tiny trickle of hope ran through her veins as the realization hit her.

She pulled her partner into one more hug, firm and defiant. Yang savored her warmth, and the feeling of simply holding her, safely in her arms. Alive.

She wanted to remember that feeling.

Because she wanted to feel it again.

No fewer than three more times today.

She eased herself back, and the reality came back to her, flooding all of her senses. The screams and snarls, the scent of blood and fire, the taste of gunpowder and terror...

Yang looked Blake over quickly. The bleeding had stopped now, and although a bit shaky, she seemed all right. Yang herself was rather sore from all the blows she'd sustained, but it was nothing serious.

She had every intention of taking Blake along with her now. If she could help it, she wasn't going to let any of them out of her sight once she'd found them, not until she was sure this was over.

She slipped her arms around Blake and helped her to her feet, keeping her voice low.

"Easy... Blake, did you happen to see where Weiss went? Which direction?" She knew her scroll was dead by now, so tracking was impossible.

Blake thought for a moment and tried to recall.

"She went away from the stadium. Said she was going to help evacuate people once the rescue air ships docked."

"Yeah, that sounds like something she'd do. All right." Yang looked Blake over one more time. "You good?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Let's go find her."

"What about Ruby?"

"...She should be fine for now."

The images of arrows through her sister's chest flashed before her eyes. But then it was Weiss, being shredded apart by claws and fangs...

Yang shook her head. She'd been right about Blake. She had to believe this would go in order. Weiss was next.

So they set off across the burning fairgrounds, headed for the spacious platforms where the airships docked. They shot and sliced any Grimm along the way that they could manage, but didn't allow themselves to get held up.

More students and other huntsmen and huntresses were beginning to appear now as backup, allowing Yang and Blake to move a little more quickly towards their own destination.

Once they'd gotten near enough to the docks, it wasn't difficult to find Weiss.

Naturally, since all of the panicking people were gathering here to board ships to safety, the majority of Grimm were gathering here as well.

Or were at least _trying_ to gather here.

Weiss' glyphs lit up the area in vibrant colors as she darted around from place to place, cutting down every beast she could reach. There were several other huntsmen and huntresses a little ways off, trying to take on the brunt of the monsters. But whichever ones slipped by were Weiss' responsibility.

Dust clogged the air despite all the motion happening. She must've used nearly all of her supplies by now.

Yang could see the heiress now as she pelted through the herds of beasts and sprinkled red Dust through them. A single bullet shot from Myrtenaster ignited a string of flames everywhere the Dust reached. It set nearly ten Grimm ablaze right then and there.

But even before Weiss had finished one spell, she was already casting another, be it ice to freeze them, lightning to strike them, or more fire to burn them alive. She fought with a graceful ferocity, and almost alluring rage in her eyes as she showed no mercy, hellbent on saving as many lives as possible.

But Yang could tell that the Grimm on the ground weren't the biggest problem here.

Nevermores and Griffons were circling around high above, waiting for the ships to take off in hopes they could be attacked in the air and brought crashing down to a deadly demise. When a ship full of people took off, the flying Grimm attacked.

That was when Weiss was forced to leave the ground.

She'd used her Air Step glyphs to suspend herself in midair and climb as high as the winged Grimm were hovering. Then, she'd repeat her fighting methods in the sky, firing more bullets with precise aim, never wasting a single ounce of energy or particle of Dust.

Yang couldn't help but take a second to admire her. This was the girl who'd used to snap and yell at all of them for just about anything they did, the girl everyone said only cared about herself and her reputation.

"Yang!"

Blake's cry pulled her out of her reverie. With Weiss now defending the ships in the air, the Grimm on the ground were beginning to swarm and congest the space where the next crowd of terrified citizens were waiting for rescue.

Yang quickly checked Blake over again, her eyes trained on the bloody wound at her side.

"Can you fight?"

Her partner gave a firm nod.

"I'll manage. Let's go."

They didn't waste another second.

Charging into the chaos, they started firing, gaining the attention of some of the Grimm. They tag-teamed the Alphas and the Majors, just like old times, but handled the smaller species individually.

Whenever she got a second to spare, Yang would glance up to seek out Weiss.

She was managing to fend the Griffons off and keep them away from the ship, but it was almost impossible for her to fight seriously while still trying to maintain the glyphs at such incredible heights. Sometimes, when she was forced to slash or stab at the monsters, she'd lose focus on her glyphs and fall a few dozen feet before she got her bearings back.

Yang nearly had a heart attack every time, and she could imagine the terror was ten times greater for Weiss herself.

But the heiress just kept getting back up, ascending once again to take on the flying Grimm.

She sliced at their wings when she could, but for the most part relied on her Dust. She'd only use it when she was sure she'd land a devastating hit.

She lit two Griffons on fire at once, sending their charred bodies spiraling down to become ash. She froze one wing of a Giant Nevermore, disabling it from flying. It gave a screech as it fell, alerting the people beneath it to flee the area before it crashed. The ice around its wing shattered, leaving the beast helpless for the other huntsmen to finish it off.

Weiss never used more Dust than she had to, and she never missed her mark.

In this painstaking and harrowing manner of fighting, she managed to keep the Grimm away from the ship until it could pick up enough speed and fly off quickly, out of immediate danger.

Weiss even went so far as to keep the Grimm focused on herself to allow the ship time to get away. She jumped about on her glyphs with astounding speed to gather the attention of all the flying Grimm in the area. They gave chase, and before long, she had a flock of a dozen beasts following her every move.

Yang snapped the jaw of the nearest wolf and spared a second to watch.

"What the hell is she doing?"

Weiss must've been running far past her limits now. She couldn't afford to keep up these insane areal stunts like this.

But before Yang could try to fathom what Weiss was aiming to accomplish, her heart leapt into her throat when she noticed Weiss' supporting glyph fade out.

In seconds, the heiress was plummeting down to the ground at breakneck speeds.

Yang was horrified. This wasn't what she'd seen in her visions. This wasn't how Weiss was supposed to die. There were no Grimm beneath her, just open space.

As she fell, the flying Grimm dove and followed her. It all happened so quickly, even before Blake or Yang could scream her name.

About three dozen feet before Weiss reached the ground, she cast just a few more glyphs in order to slow her fall and ease herself down. Behind herself, she put up a repulsion glyph.

The Grimm immediately behind her smashed into it and were sent spiraling back, squawking and screeching as they all collided with one another. The suddenness and steepness of the dive they'd plunged into was too immense for the beasts. They couldn't angle themselves up or away from the ground quickly enough.

The result of the confusion and their vicious pursuit was satisfying to watch, to say the very least.

While Weiss slowed her descent safely, the Grimm went diving down into the ground, necks, wings, and beaks snapping, killing them instantly. They piled on top of one another, crushing the ones beneath them, or stabbing them in the backs with their claws.

Almost every single one of the flying Grimm was killed upon impact when they landed, and the few that managed to scramble up and try to fly away were instantly shot back down by Yang and Blake.

In this manner, Weiss single-handedly took out a large fraction of the flying Grimm in the area, and ensured the safety of the citizens for at least a short while.

Plumes of black dust clogged the air as the mass grave of Grimm began to disintegrate.

Yang was still in awe as she sought out Weiss once more. She was just limping off the last few of her glyphs, staggering and using her rapier for support as she descended.

Yang and Blake rushed to her just as she all but fell off the final circle. Yang quickly opened her arms and caught her, trying to keep her upright.

"Weiss! Holy shit... that was insane," she wheezed.

"I've never seen anything like it," Blake commented, putting a hand on her teammate's back to steady her. "Are you okay?"

Yang could feel the heiress gasping in her arms, trembling beyond her control. But she still managed to right herself, though she couldn't stand on her own.

"Yang... Blake... it's good to see you two," she sighed, putting a hand to her chest. Her blue eyes scoured the area curiously. "Where's Ruby?"

"We're not sure," Blake admitted. "But we think she's okay."

"Thank goodness..." Weiss swayed, and her teammates quickly held onto her to prevent her from falling.

"Whoa, hey! Easy," Yang soothed. "God, you really overdid it, Weiss."

The heiress grunted, as though this was no big deal.

"And where exactly... have _you_ _two_ been all this time? If you'd... arrived sooner... you would've known that this is the third time I've pulled this stunt since all of this began..."

" _Third_ time?" Blake echoed.

Weiss nodded.

"But it seems... that will be the last time... I don't have enough Dust left to deal with the flying types. From here on out, I'll be stuck on the ground for the most part."

"Hey," Yang murmured. "Weiss, that's damn good. You've saved so many people and gotten rid of so many Grimm already."

"Perhaps..." she rasped. "But there are still plenty more people to save... and plenty more Grimm to take care of."

As she spoke, she directed her gaze behind Yang. Another wave of wolves and bears was approaching, following the next group of citizens, huntsmen, and huntresses seeking the shelter of an air ship.

"You're right," she grunted before turning back to Weiss. "But you need to take a breather. Try to stay behind Blake and I. Just take on whichever ones we miss. Don't strain yourself too much more."

The way she said it was convincing enough. She mainly wanted to keep an eye on Weiss and to keep her as far away from the Grimm as possible.

But the way she said it didn't hint at any of that; she just sounded like the concerned older sister she always was.

Blake nodded her agreement to the proposed plan, and Weiss knew there was no point in arguing.

"Very well. I'll stay behind you two."

Yang flashed her a small, appreciative smile. This would make her task a lot easier if she knew Weiss was behind her. Yang wouldn't let a single Grimm get past herself.

As Weiss staggered back a few paces, Yang and Blake faced the oncoming Grimm. They shared a glance, newfound determination sparking in their eyes. Blake must've had the same idea in her head, that she didn't intend to let any Grimm get as far as Weiss. Yang was glad she was here.

They took off running towards the oncoming herd, shooting at the beasts in front to make them topple, and the ones behind them trampled them to death. There was a handful of other huntsman and huntresses, but probably ten Grimm to every person.

As Yang engaged with the first wolf she could grab, she just kept reminding herself that this was only the beginning. There were still so many people she needed to save. She couldn't allow herself to get tired or sloppy here.

She punched, fired, grabbed, twisted. She did everything she could in order to stop every beast she could get her hands on.

She frequently noticed Blake making good use of her clones as decoys to distract the beasts, or to lure them away from someone else. Even though the Faunus girl was injured and shaken up by what had just happened with the White Fang, she was fighting ferociously.

But in spite of Blake's impressive kill count, Yang still kept an eye on her partner, ready to jump in and assist her if something should go wrong.

She also kept stealing glances behind her to Weiss. The heiress got a stray wolf or boar to deal with at best, but never anything beyond what she could handle right now.

But whenever she got a moment to catch her breath, she'd be forced to use her rapier as a crutch again and struggle to stay on her feet. She wasn't exactly in good shape, but she was a lot better off than when Yang had seen her in her nightmares.

Her main concern now was figuring out when and how she would be able to get to Ruby. The Grimm here seemed endless, and there was no opportunity to slip away or try to search for her little sister. She didn't know how much time she had left, either.

She was just debating what to do, all while leaping up to land on an Ursa's back and send a devastating blow to its spine. The beast crumpled beneath her with a roar, and she finished it with a single bullet to the back of the skull.

She was just about to turn and face her next opponent when she heard a cry of distress.

"Ah-!"

Instantly, she whipped around to look for Weiss.

The heiress was fighting off a few Boarbatusk, keeping them back with her glyphs, forming a barrier of sorts around herself. Despite her condition, she seemed to be doing fine.

So Yang scoured the chaos for Blake.

She spotted her partner backing away from several wolves. She'd sheathed her katana and was now shooting single-handedly to keep the beasts at bay. Her other hand had gone to clutch her injured side.

Yang rushed over to her just as Blake stumbled and fell. She caught and steadied her, then fired a round of bullets at the wolves. Yang scooped Blake up into her arms before carrying her out of the fray.

The Faunus girl was gasping in pain, and fresh blood was pooling at her side. Yang set her down behind a pile of debris and crouched beside her.

"Hey, partner. You okay? Let me see."

She gently moved Blake's hand away from the injury. There was still a stain on her clothes from the last time her wound had bled, but Yang could clearly distinguish a fresh coloring now.

Blake got out a response in between gasps.

"It's... not as bad as before... I just reopened a bit..."

She was sweating, and the vicious battle had clearly taken its toll on her. Yang gently reached up and wiped the back of her hand over Blake's forehead to clear away some of the sweat and grime.

"It's okay. You just take it easy now and let your aura heal you up, okay? I won't let 'em get this far."

Blake nodded and leaned back heavily against the debris, closing her eyes. Yang spared the second to reach forward and hug her softly.

"It'll be okay. We'll make it out of this. All of us. Somehow..."

She felt her partner nod against her shoulder.

But then, Blake's body jolted as another gasp ran through her. Yang pulled back instantly.

"Blake? What is it?"

Her partner was wide-eyed in terror, her gaze going past Yang to what was behind her. A single, horrified word tumbled from her lips.

"Weiss-!"

Yang whirled around and was on her feet in seconds.

In hers and Blake's absence, the Grimm had broken through the other fighters and were now attacking Weiss. She was being forced back another step every second, and her barrier of glyphs was beginning to fade.

Yang didn't waste another second before she was charging forward once again, sending a barrage of bullets into the mass of black beasts.

"Weiss!" she cried. "Hold on! I'm coming!"

She'd let Weiss out of her sight, and now the monsters were at her throat. Yang wasn't about to let them get any closer.

Fueled by her rage and her desire to protect someone she loved, she activated her semblance and went wild.

She blazed the Grimm alive, shattering their bone masks and breaking limbs to immobilize them. That was something she'd learned from Weiss earlier. That she didn't need to waste a hundred blows on the entire body. If she could just take out one leg, it would make the beast lame, and from there it was a slow and easy target to finish off later.

For now, her objective was to delay them, not necessarily kill them.

So she broke their legs and forearms one by one, slowing both their advance and Weiss' retreat. Yang fought furiously until the last boar had been pummeled.

Weiss was left barely standing, her entire body shaking terribly just as her glyphs disappeared. Relief was clear in her blue eyes as she caught Yang's gaze.

"Yang... I-"

"Weiss! Yang!"

Blake's terrified scream cut through the chaos and rose above every other sound. Both girls whirled around, fearing she was being attacked.

But that wasn't the case. Blake screamed to them again.

" _Watch out!_ "

But at the very second she said the words, the Griffons poured down from the skies in an areal attack.

Yang cursed and did her best to shoot them down, but it was almost impossible to aim with so many claws and beaks diving at her from above.

"Shit!"

She tried to fend them off and search for Weiss at the same time.

She found her.

But it was a second too late.

A Griffon slammed into Weiss from behind, knocking the exhausted heiress to the ground. Her rapier rolled out of her reach, and before she could so much as try to push herself up, the Griffon was on top of her.

"NO!"

Yang screamed as she desperately tried to make her way over, scorching every monster in her path.

Weiss shrieked in pain and terror as the claws sunk into her back and sides. The black wings began flapping, and the beast lifted her up off the ground.

Yang reached them just as Weiss was being taken into the air. She jumped up and grabbed Weiss' hand defiantly, forcing the Griffon to pause in its ascent.

For a horrifying second, time froze that way. The bloodthirsty beast flapped its wings and beat the air, trying to pull Weiss out of Yang's grip.

Yang stared up at her as Weiss stared down.

She was speechless in her terror. Her blue eyes were wide and ridden with agony and fear, and they said what her voice failed to:

 _Please don't let them take me_.

Tears started dripping down from her eyes, and they fell onto Yang's cheeks.

Yang felt as though the muscles in her arm were going to tear as she continued battling against the pull of the Griffon. It wasn't strong enough to carry them both away, so if she could just stand her ground-

Suddenly, the Grimm screeched and gave a violent, impatient flap of its wings, then jerked itself upward. Weiss screamed as the claws in her back dragged deeper through more of her skin.

Yang watched as the blood started oozing through her blue dress, and soon it was dripping down in streams along with her tears. She choked as she was forced to watch her teammate's agony play out right above herself.

"Weiss-" she rasped. "I-I won't let go. I won't-"

But the Griffon screeched again and gave a mighty pull. The force of its wings wretched Weiss' hand from Yang's.

And she lost her.

" _NO!_ "

Yang screamed at the top of her lungs as she watched the beast ascend with rapid speed. Weiss was curled helplessly beneath its talons, her blood still leaking down to the ground below.

It was impossible to fire a bullet at it now without the risk of hitting Weiss. Yang caught one last glimpse of the horror in her eyes before the Grimm climbed high into the air.

"WEISS! _WEISS!_ "

Yang stood there, her arm still outstretched to where she'd been holding onto Weiss' hand just seconds earlier. The heiress' tears were still running down her face along with her own.

She was vaguely aware of Blake screaming behind her, but Yang couldn't take her eyes off the sky.

Weiss was nothing more than a drop of white against a massive black canvas now. The Griffon that had her in its talons was soon swarmed by several others. They pecked and scratched at Weiss to torment her.

Then, she was dropped.

Yang screamed again as she watched her teammate plummet through the air while the Grimm followed after her. One dove in to grab her, then tossed her again. The next one caught her by the arm and let her fall again.

They were... purposefully toying with her in some cruel display of victory.

Yang couldn't watch any longer. She pressed a palm to her mouth and felt her stomach heave. She was going to throw up-

"Yang!"

Somehow, Blake had managed to stagger over. Yang looked up to find she was crying, too.

"Blake... I-I let them..."

"No, you didn't," she snapped. "You... you did everything you could, Yang. But there's... there's still something you can do for her."

Past the pain in her golden eyes, Yang saw one final, floundering spark of determination. Her partner reached out her hand and presented Yang with a familiar ribbon. It was the one attached to Gambol Shroud.

Yang wiped her eyes immediately and took it.

The Griffons continued dropping Weiss before they grabbed her again, and as such were gradually getting lower to the ground again. Yang could anticipate they'd soon let her fall to her death.

But for now, they were still playing with their prey.

Keeping hold of Blake's ribbon, she ran.

She ran as she'd done when training with Blake many times before. They'd done this move a thousand times, but it never mattered more than it would right now.

Yang dashed in circles around her partner, and Blake followed her every step.

They went around and around until Yang had gathered up enough speed for the jump.

She only had one shot.

She ran toward the pile of rubble where Blake had previously been hiding. With her built-up momentum charging her speed, she ran towards the debris and jumped off.

" _NOW!_ "

The tension on the ribbon told Yang that Blake was wrenching herself as hard as she could for the toss. Yang held onto the ribbon until Blake gave her cue.

" _Go!_ "

Trusting Blake's aim and angle, Yang let go of the ribbon and was sent soaring high into the air. Wind whipped at her face and hair, ember sparks of her semblance blasting out behind her.

As her vision rapidly adjusted, she could make out the winged black bodies. Blake had tossed her perfectly onto the back of the one that was holding Weiss.

Yang landed rather roughly on its back, and gave a good stomp to its spine. The Griffon roared in fury, and tried to shake her off.

Yang wasted no time in grabbing its wings, quickly suspending it in midair. Without the use of its wings, the beast began to fall to the ground below.

Yang only held its wings for a few seconds before she released them again. The Griffon's descent stopped. But Yang quickly pulled its wings in again, and it started to fall.

In this manner, she caused them a slow, gradual descent to the ground. The beast kept a defiant grip on Weiss, unwilling to let go of its prize.

Yang realized how quiet Weiss was. When she looked down over the side of the beast, all she saw was Weiss' bloodied back, dress, and ponytail.

 _Hang on, just please hang on!_

They were only a few dozen feet off the ground now. Yang clipped the Griffon's wings again, allowing it to fall. Blake rushed in, positioned herself beneath them, and gave a nod.

That was Yang's cue to finally finish it.

She raised her boot and brought it down with bone-breaking force on the back of the Griffon's neck. The Grimm shrieked as its claws automatically released their grip.

Weiss fell the rest of the way to the ground, where she was promptly and carefully caught in Blake's arms.

Yang finished the Griffon off by ripping its wings with her bare hands, cracking the bones and shredding the membrane. She gave one last kick to its head before she jumped off. She landed several yards away from her teammates, and the dead Grimm fell close behind her.

Yang needed a moment to calm herself and get her bearings. Her heart was racing, and her entire body was trembling. She'd never pulled a stunt quite like that before.

But she was less terrified of what she'd just done, and more terrified by what she still might find out.

Blake called out for her just then.

"Yang-!" Her voice was choked by a sob.

Yang lifted her face and sought out her partner. Blake was on her knees with Weiss cradled in her arms.

Yang deactivated her semblance and wasted no more time in rushing over to collapse beside them. She reached out for Weiss, and her heart clenched at the sight of her.

Her eyes were closed, her pretty hair and clothes a shredded mess, her pearly skin covered in a million different cuts and bruises. Blood stained almost every inch of her, particularly her back and sides. Her dress and bolero were tattered, revealing bloody claw marks that cut deep into her flesh.

"Oh god... oh my god..."

Yang's voice cracked and broke as she felt another rush of tears well up. She looked to Blake in a panic.

"Is... Is she...?"

Blake shook her head slowly.

"I don't know..."

Blake rested one of her hands over Weiss' chest and tried to concentrate, but she couldn't detect a pulse.

Yang dipped forward and laid her head against Weiss' collar to listen. She couldn't hear anything at first, just her own strangled sobs.

But then, a faint flicker of motion was detectable. Weiss' heartbeat was slow and faint, but it was there.

Yang quickly pulled away and gave Blake a nod.

Instantly, they began to share their aura with Weiss, just as much as they could spare. Blake's own wound had closed up again, but she still needed to preserve her aura. Yang had a bit more to spare, so she allowed it to leak into Weiss' bloodstream.

A few seconds later, she felt it ignite Weiss' own life energy. It was feeble and thin, but it was there.

She kept her hand over Weiss' pulse for a long moment, just to make sure. She could feel it getting stronger and stronger, little by little.

That heartbeat was Yang's indication that she hadn't failed.

Blake was alive, Weiss was alive...

She looked up to her partner, who was wiping her tears of relief away. Yang cleared her throat to get her attention.

"Blake... I've gotta find Ruby. I think she's at the school."

Her partner knew what she was asking.

"You do that. I'll take care of Weiss."

Yang gave a swift nod.

After that, it was only a few more minutes until the next air ship arrived. The other huntsmen and huntresses had managed to defeat the remaining Grimm, and now the next crowd of people was let on-board the ship. A fresh handful of huntsmen and huntresses hurried out to assist in the fighting, replacing the injured fighters.

Yang carried Weiss on-board and Blake limped at her side. There were a few nurses on the ship, and one instantly decided that Weiss needed her attention most prominently. They laid Weiss down on a stretcher and the nurse went to work with the supplies that she had. Blake and Yang stayed close by.

The ship closed its doors just as a Giant Nevermore started making its way toward them. Once they took off, the masses of terrified, crying people started to calm down a little.

There was a brief announcement made at that point:

"Folks, we will be making a brief stop at Beacon Academy to collect the wounded. Everyone please stay on-board and cooperate to make room. After that, we'll be flying to a secure area in Vale."

It didn't take long to get to Beacon from there. The ship was already descending.

Yang looked out the nearest window and could see that it didn't look good. There were fires all over the school, more Grimm, more White Fang...

The ship lurched as it landed, and the doors opened up to let more people on. Yang turned to Blake, who was still wiping her eyes with one hand and holding her side with the other. Yang got her attention quietly.

"I'm gonna go to the school. I've gotta find Ruby."

She pulled her partner into another brief hug. Blake trembled and held her in return.

"Yang... are you sure...? You've been through a lot already. What if Ruby's already safe?"

"And what if she's not?"

Blake sighed.

"You're right. Just..." She eased back and looked into her partner's eyes. "Be careful, Yang. Please."

"I will." They parted, and Yang briefly reached down to touch Weiss' hand. "Take care of her, will you?"

"You know I will," Blake vowed. "I won't leave her no matter what."

"Thanks. And make sure they patch you up a bit, too."

Blake nodded, and pulled her in for one last hug.

"Be safe. Make sure... you and Ruby make it back to us, okay, Yang?"

Yang nodded and gave her one last squeeze.

Then, she left her two teammates, and made her way through the panicked passengers. While more people were crowding onto the ship, Yang was the only one stepping off.

She landed on solid ground, and a familiar scene painted the world around her. Grimm, fire, darkness, the sounds of roaring monsters and crying people.

The ship closed its doors and took off, leaving her behind. Yang watched it go, until it was out of sight.

Then, she turned towards what was left of her school and took off running.

 _I'm coming, Ruby. Just wait for me. Big Sis is coming._

* * *

 **A/N: Oh man. Though it was absolutely brutal to write (and probably to read, too) but I felt very accomplished after getting this chapter in particular done with. Hope you're ready for all that's to come!**

 **If you like my work, please consider supporting me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	7. Chapter 6 - Atop The Tower

**This chapter will be the only one not from Yang's POV. There are a few significant details that need to be addressed that can only be told from Ruby's. As such, it rewinds us just a little bit in the timeline.**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 6. Atop The Tower

Ruby struggled with all her might to get away from Mercury.

She didn't know what he'd done, but she knew he was a liar.

Yang hadn't broken his leg. She hadn't even hurt him at all.

He was planning something – his entire team was. She just didn't know what it was.

But she was going to find out.

But without Crescent Rose, she was defenseless.

She took blow after blow from him, coughing and crying until he finally backed off.

But she almost wished he'd continue. She'd rather be kicked and punched and hurt rather than...

Rather than _this_.

The crowds all around her were screaming in horror and outrage. There was a foreign voice on the intercom, saying scary, unsettling things.

But what made Ruby fall to her knees was the sight before her in the arena.

Pyrrha dropped her weapon and her shield, raising her hands to her mouth in horror. Before her was Penny, crumpled and twisted on the ground - unmoving.

The tears rushed up more quickly than Ruby could register, and her friend's name tumbled from her lips.

"Penny..."

Her grief only added to the shock and fear of every other person in the stadium. People were yelling, crying, screaming...

The next thing Ruby knew, there was absolute chaos.

People were running for their lives, pushing and screaming as a Giant Nevermore burst its way into the arena, shattering the barrier. It screeched and dove down, seeking to kill as many people as possible.

But before it could hurt even a single person, Ruby's friends and classmates were there to fight it off.

She wanted to help, too. She _had_ to. Or else more people would die.

So she staggered to her feet and called for her locker. As soon as Crescent Rose was in her hands, she took off to join the fight.

She was furious and scared, but even more so than that, she was determined to prevent anyone else's death.

She fought viciously alongside her classmates and other companions. There were no borders left between them now. They helped one another, protected one another. Eventually, they downed the Nevermore and finished it off.

Ruby caught her breath, wiped her face, and straightened her back. Her companions were there. But only half of them.

Her teammates hadn't been here at the time of the attack, and Pyrrha and Jaune were gone now, too. Ruby hadn't seen where they'd run off to, but she trusted they were all right if they were together.

Everyone else was baffled, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Who the heck was that lady talking?" Sun wondered. "What the heck is going on?"

"She must have brought the Grimm in, too," Velvet commented.

Everyone was flustered and confused, trying to make sense of things and get their bearings. Ruby didn't move for a while and she simply listened to everyone's panicked conversations.

"What are we gonna do?"

"We need to evacuate everyone somehow. We're trapped her floating on the stadium."

"What about General Ironwood? Doesn't he have ships?"

Mention of him snapped Ruby back into reality. Not because of Ironwood himself. But because of...

Weakly, she turned her head to the spot where her friend had fallen.

The fight against the Nevermore had done damage to the stadium, but Penny was still lying where Pyrrha had brought her down.

It hadn't been Pyrrha's fault. She couldn't have known Penny's secret. She couldn't have known what would happen...

But Ruby had known.

And if she'd just... if she'd just _stayed_ here, she might've been able to prevent this somehow...

But now...

She reached her friend, still lying crumpled on the arena's floor, her legs twisted backward and sideways at the knees, her arms gnarled similarly at her elbows. Her head had been jerked to one side to a degree impossible by human standards. Her eyes were wide open, but there was no spark left in them.

"Penny..."

Tears started welling up again as Ruby dropped heavily to her knees, letting her scythe fall beside her. She hunched forward and cried, not even bothering to wipe her face anymore.

She'd only known Penny for a very brief amount of time, and during that time, she'd hardly gotten to be with her very much.

 _It's not fair... It's not fair...! Why did this have to happen? If I'd been here, maybe I could've stopped it somehow..._

Now so many of her friends were gone. Weiss, Blake, Yang, Pyrrha, Jaune, Penny...

"Why...?" She reached out her trembling hand and gently let it rest on her friend's shoulder. "Why... is this happening...?"

She bowed her head as her shoulders began to shake with her sobbing.

Her companions had quieted their panicked conversations by now and were looking sadly in her direction. For a long moment, the perilous reality was put aside, and everyone took the time to mourn for Penny.

Ruby's thoughts swarmed with memories of her, few as they were. Their first meeting, their accidental meet-ups, the time she'd found out her secret...

She remembered the sound of her voice, her cheerful greetings, her confident comments.

And she also remembered one particular thing Penny had told her.

How she was one of the first models Ironwood had created that had its own aura.

It was just on a whim, really, when Ruby activated her own aura and shared a little bit with her friend. It was a hopeless wish, something she never expected to work.

But...

But it _did_.

The second her aura flowed out onto Penny's shoulder, Ruby felt some kind of reaction. It was easy to recognize someone else's aura, especially when they were so close. Now, there was a thin veil of it surrounding Penny.

Ruby felt motion beneath her fingertips. When she looked up, she saw something incredible.

Penny's body began to move, her tangled limbs slowly returning to their proper positions.

Everyone else fell silent as they watched as well. Ruby's eyes went wide in disbelief, but she didn't stop sharing her aura with Penny. She just _prayed_ this wasn't all in her head.

She watched as Penny's body finally rested in a normal position, her arms and legs now straight where she lie. Ruby just kept looking at her eyes.

"Please... oh, please..."

She waited. They all did.

And waited.

And then...

Ruby saw a familiar little spark in those pools of green.

It was as though a switch had been flicked on. Light came back into Penny's eyes. She blinked several times, her gaze shifting in and out of focus for a moment before she could finally manage to turn her head. Her name fell from Ruby's lips with a gasp.

"P-Penny...!"

Her friend gave a small smile.

"Salutations, Ruby."

"Oh-!"

Ruby dove forward and threw her arms around her, wailing loudly into her shoulder.

"Penny! Oh, thank goodness! A-Are you okay?"

She helped Penny sit up a little bit and was relieved beyond explanation when she felt her friend return the hug, albeit weakly.

"I am... going to need significant repairs..." she sighed. "But it's nothing my father won't be able to handle. Where... is he, by the way...?"

As Ruby pulled away, she tried to compose herself and explained everything that had happened since Penny had lost consciousness. Her friend listened in wide-eyed terror, but could clearly see evidence of everything Ruby was telling her.

By the time Ruby had finished talking, Sun made his way over and spoke to her softly.

"Hey, I'm glad Penny's okay. We all are. But it's time to get out of here. We should go help fight."

Ruby nodded to him and wiped her eyes one last time.

"Yeah... We should go."

She picked up Crescent Rose, then leaned on it to stand as she helped Penny up.

From there, Ruby traveled with the others out into the decimated fairgrounds.

It was horrible. The once-bright, cheerful, colorful environment was now everything but.

It was dark aside from the flames of multiple small fires. Grimm were overriding the place, and stolen air ships just kept dropping down more beasts that couldn't already fly. Whatever citizens hadn't managed to flee already were running for their lives, screaming in terror as the limited numbers of fellow huntsman and huntresses did their best to protect them.

Ruby and her group came to a halt as they took in the devastating scene. But she was the first to snap out of it.

"Guys!" She whirled around to face them. "There's probably going to be ships to evacuate us, so let's head to the stadium docks! Try to stay together and help anyone you can along the way!"

She knew she probably wasn't one to be giving orders to her seniors and students from other schools. But nonetheless, everyone readily agreed to her plan.

As they ran through the tattered remnants of tents and the debris of broken shops, they slaughtered as many monsters as they could. Ruby made sure to stick close to Penny, knowing she wasn't in the best state right now.

It felt like it took them forever to reach the docks, where another air ship had just landed. Alongside it was an army plane that used special technology to locate creatures of Grimm only and fire at them.

The reinforcements arrived just in time, as Ruby and her group boarded the transport air ship. Frantically, she looked around at the people inside, but she didn't see any of her teammates or other missing friends. Ruby checked her scroll, but its battery was already dead. She knew they were probably worrying about her, too.

 _Gosh, I hope they're okay..._

There was an announcement made that the ship would be landing at Beacon briefly to take in any other passengers. But Ruby couldn't just ride to safety when she knew people needed her help.

Therefore, once the ship landed at Beacon to take on more passengers, she made her way through the crowds to the door. She'd almost managed to slip off unnoticed when she felt a tug on her arm.

"Ruby! Please wait!" Penny breathlessly scurried after her. "Where are you going? We have to stay on-board the ship!"

But Ruby shook her head.

"I can't, Penny. Yang and Blake and Weiss could be here somewhere. I don't know where they are and I've gotta find them... And besides, there are still people here I can help."

Her eyes and tone were set with determination. She tried to pull free, but Penny held fast to her.

"Then I am coming with you!"

"No." Ruby softened her voice, but spoke firmly. "Penny, you need to recover. You know that as well as I do. You've gotta stay here."

"But Ruby-!"

"I'll find you later! I promise!" Then, just as the ship's doors began to close, Ruby broke free of Penny's grasp and darted away. She could still hear Penny calling out her name, but she didn't look back.

Her main priorities were to find her friends if they were here, and to help other people get to safety. But she also needed to keep her promise to Penny and make sure she herself made it back in one piece.

Since most people had been at the festival on the stadium, she discovered Beacon wasn't very populated anymore. Not by people who were on her side, anyway.

There were members of the White Fang here amongst the Grimm, and for the most part, the beasts were leaving them alone and simply focusing on destroying Ruby's beloved school.

She wasn't about to allow that.

She killed as many as she could on her own, without allowing herself to get trapped amongst the rampaging herds. She glimpsed several other huntsman and huntresses on the premises, by they were mostly preoccupied with taking out the rogue Atlesian soldiers that had been hacked and turned against them.

Ruby just kept looking for anyone she recognized, but she didn't anyone.

 _Well, at least Jaune and Pyrrha are probably together. And I think Weiss and Blake are, too. And Yang is... she should be away from all of this since they put her in that room. So everyone should be fine._

If she could manage, she wanted to try to get to Beacon's detention center just to ensure her sister was either still safe inside, or had been evacuated by the authorities.

 _I'm sure she's okay. She's Yang. She's gotta be okay._

Suddenly, she halted in her run across the campus. Her speed had previously allowed her to avoid any Grimm she didn't need to immediately engage, but now she was forced to come to a stop.

A strange, harrowing sound was carrying across the skies. It sent a chill up her spine, even though she had no idea what it was. All she could do was lift her gaze to the darkened sky and wait.

The sound echoed again, and this time it was closer.

It was a bit muffled, but that didn't stop it from being _loud_. She could tell it wasn't an air ship or an army plane. It almost sounded like... like a _roar_.

A few more terrifying seconds passed by, and soon she was able to discern another sound.

It was rhythmic, almost like a pulse. But she soon better identified it as the beating of wings.

The next roar that split the air was right above her.

The darkened sky was blacked out by and even darker shadow as the colossal dragon passed overhead.

Ruby had never seen anything like it before. They'd never taught her about this kind of Grimm in school.

Its massive ribcage was on the outside, and bone coated most of its body in plates of armor, as was the case for most Grimm. But this one was different in the fact that it was so impossibly huge.

And there was something else.

As it flew, it dropped down globs of shadows that eventually birthed other Grimm on the spot. It was creating an endless army of its own kind.

The mighty beast passed by overhead, and all the while, Ruby feared it would scorch the Academy with some fiery or acidic breath. The only mercy was that it didn't.

It continued passing, as though it had a set destination in mind. Ruby watched it for as long as she could.

 _Where's it going...? And why...?_

She didn't expect to get her answer so soon.

It didn't leave Beacon. Rather, the dragon slowed its pace and took its perch on the side of Beacon Tower. The building started to crumble a bit beneath its weight and sharp claws.

"No! Ruby gasped. If they lost the tower, they'd lose all communication signals.

She didn't know how, but she knew she needed to stop it. Even if that meant she had to take it on by herself.

She gathered herself and readied Crescent Rose in her hands.

 _Gosh, this would've been so much easier if Weiss were here!_

But she couldn't use glyphs now to get her up high right away.

So instead, Ruby focused on her own semblance. It took her a little longer that it would've taken to use Weiss' glyphs, but it was her only feasible option now. She needed to wait, wait, wait, as though she were charging up, gathering her energy all in one spot...

At last, she took off with a high leap, and torpedoed herself up the side of the tower as high as she could go. By the time she felt herself losing speed, she was more than halfway up. She reached out to sink Crescent Rose into the building and came to a sharp halt, dangling there on the side of the tower thousands of feet up.

Just on the other side was the dragon's throat, where its teeth ran down the length of its neck. If only she could fight here on the side of the building, she would've been able to get in a critical surprise hit.

But she had no choice but to continue climbing, using small bursts of her semblance in addition to hooking her scythe into the building to propel herself upwards.

For whatever reason, the dragon seemed to be stilled for the moment, though it did make the building shake with its occasional growl.

Ruby was almost at the top when she heard the unmistakable sounds of fighting. Metal was clashing, footsteps were running, then skidding. Judging by the sounds of it, they weren't on the same side fighting the dragon together.

There was a sudden, shrill cry of pain from one person, and Ruby's heart came screeching to a halt as she recognized the voice.

"P...Pyrrha...?"

She hurled herself up and over the edge until she landed on the roof at long last. The scene before her was scarier than anything she'd ever seen. Much more so than the dragon.

A woman, dressed in red, with ashen hair pulled to one side of her face, was standing above Pyrrha. Pyrrha was on her knees, clearly exhausted beyond her limits, helpless and unable to defend herself any longer. They were speaking to one another, and hearing her voice was what made Ruby recognize the woman as Cinder Fall, Mercury's teammates.

 _So they really were behind all of this-!_

Pyrrha was saying something to her, though Ruby was too far away to make out what it was.

She was about to call out and intervene when she was stopped dead in her tracks.

She hadn't noticed the golden bow until Cinder lifted it into view now. Ruby had been on the other end of that bow herself before, back at the dance...

Cinder raised the weapon, but not at the dragon leering over the edge of the building behind them. She pulled back on the string and let the arrow aim directly at Pyrrha's chest.

Ruby didn't bother to think before she acted anymore. She just screamed.

" _NO!_ "

She raised Crescent Rose and fired. The bullet sliced through the air just as Cinder was preparing to release the string of the bow. It knocked against the bow itself and caused the archer to stumble. The arrow fired and missed Pyrrha by about a foot, shooting off into the darkness.

Cinder whipped around, fury burning in her eyes. Pyrrha gasped and cried out to her friend.

"Ruby, run!"

But she wasn't going to do that. Not unless Pyrrha was coming with her.

She faced Cinder with equal amounts of anger in her eyes.

But what Cinder's eyes didn't hold was fear. And there was no mercy, either.

"You..." she said calmly, straightening up once more. " _You've_ gotten in my way too many times." She kept her bow in her grip and began stalking toward her. Pyrrha still couldn't move, but she used her voice as much as she could.

"Ruby! You've _got_ to run! Please! You can't fight her like this! She's-!"

But before Pyrrha could finish, Cinder charged.

Ruby stumbled back, raising Crescent Rose in defense. But Cinder maneuvered around the blade and landed a hard kick to Ruby's arm.

There was an impossible amount of strength behind that single blow. It bowled Ruby over, made her lose grip of her only weapon, and sent shockwaves of pain shooting up through her. She felt something snap, but she didn't even know what it was.

"A-Ahhh-!"

She rolled over in the debris, trying to get up, but she couldn't. There was too much pain coursing through her body.

She was aware of Pyrrha screaming out her name, telling her to flee. But Ruby couldn't move.

Cinder was much stronger than anyone Ruby had ever encountered before. It was almost as though she'd been granted some special power somehow...

Ruby tried again to get up, but was met with a crushing heel to the chest.

Cinder pressed her down and leaned over her, making her sputter and sob. Ruby wheezed for breath that didn't come, her eyes barely able to open as tears rushed down her face.

Cinder looked down at her with eyes void of compassion or pity.

"You've hindered my plans for the last time."

She lifted her bow and took aim. The tip of the arrow stared Ruby right in the face.

And she was suddenly aware that this was _real_.

She was... she was going to die.

Without ever seeing her teammates or her friends again.

Without ever getting to see her father or her uncle or her dog again.

Without ever getting to know for sure what happened to her mother...

 _Mom... Dad... Weiss... Blake...!_

She closed her eyes.

There was a quick, sharp rush of air.

But the arrow never came.

Instead, she heard the clicking of a barrel as a bullet was released.

Ruby recognized that sound above all others.

It didn't come from just _any_ weapon.

It came from a _gauntlet_.

Suddenly, the weight crushing her chest vanished, and she heard Cinder howl. Pyrrha cried out in disbelief, just as Ruby managed to crack open her eyes once again.

Cinder wasn't within her sight.

But someone else was.

And _she_ was furious.

Red flames lit through her long blonde hair, and a wafting heat coated her skin in pulsing waves of rage and the desire to protect. She stood with her back to Ruby, defending her.

And though she was surrounded by fire, her voice was cold.

"Get the _hell_ away... from my little sister."

Ruby sniffled, as a single trembling word made its way out.

"Y- _Yang._.."

And then the already-darkened world went completely black.

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 **A/N: Sorry it was a bit of a fast-paced chapter. I wanted to rearrange some things like how Penny survived, but I didn't want to waste time on stuff we already knew about. I just needed to describe how Ruby got to Beacon and then up the tower on her own, unlike in the show.**

 **But now is where the shit will really start to hit the fan.**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	8. Chapter 7 - Sacrifice

**We're back to Yang's POV from here on out. Enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

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Chapter 7. Sacrifice

She'd never run faster in her entire life.

As soon as Yang had gotten off the air ship, she hadn't exactly known where to go on Beacon's campus in order to search for her little sister. For a brief amount of time, she'd been preoccupied with the Grimm, and had no choice but to fight them off when she couldn't manage to avoid them altogether. She'd proceeded rather aimlessly, merely fighting whatever enemies came her way, while always making sure to look out for Ruby or anyone who may have seen her.

But it hadn't been long before Yang had gotten her answer.

The gargantuan dragon Grimm was a horrifying sight indeed. With its size and ability to spawn more monsters at will, it could've easily destroyed an entire kingdom in a matter of days, which made a small place like Beacon child's play.

And if Yang knew her little sister, Ruby would be where that dragon was.

So she'd ran to follow the mighty beast where it perched on Beacon's tower. And that point, Yang wished Blake or Weiss had been there with her to help get her to the top. But as she was, it took her a devastating amount of time to reach the top on her own, through the process of merely climbing up the side of the building, clinging to nothing more than jutting pieces of debris.

It had taken her a bit of time. But as she'd discover, it hadn't taken her _too_ long. She hauled herself up and over the edge just in time to assess what was happening up top.

That woman – Cinder – was there, and there was an odd, unnatural glow around her. Pyrrha knelt behind her, eyes wide and tears streaming down her face. Yang was temporarily flooded with relief just to see that she was still alive.

But that relief was immediately pushed aside to be replaced with something very different.

She witnessed Cinder drawing her bow and arrow, and aiming at _Ruby_.

Then it was rage. Love. The fierce, unbreakable desire to _protect_.

Yang activated her semblance and was there in a heartbeat, skewing the arrow's trajectory with a bullet, and then throwing herself in the line of fire. With Ruby now behind herself, nothing was going to touch her little sister anymore.

Yang's voice rang out more ferocious than the dragon's roar.

"Get the _hell_ away from my little sister!"

Her eyes were burning red, her hair was alive with flames, and her breath was visible steam.

This was it. If she could simply stop this woman here and now... No one else would have to die.

Yang charged whilst her opponent was still regaining control over her bow. The blonde fired several punches and bullets along with them. She was only vaguely aware of Pyrrha's scream from somewhere nearby.

"Yang, no! You can't fight her when she's like this! She's-!"

But Yang never got the chance to hear the end of Pyrrha's warning.

With impossible speed, Cinder twisted her body and threw out her bow, the edge of which slammed into the side of Yang's face at close-range, sending her spiraling back. As Yang staggered, she wasn't even given a second to catch her breath or assess what had just happened before her opponent was upon her.

She was kicked with the sharp tips of high-heeled shoes, and punched by fists that had an impossible amount of power charged up behind them.

Yang didn't know what was going on, but she knew Cinder shouldn't be this strong. There was... some kind of power emitting from her, to the point where it was almost leaking free.

Yang tried to fight back, but the woman was too fast, too precise with all of her hits. Yang was already physically exhausted from the numerous fights against the Grimm up until now. Coupled with the mental and emotional exhaustion that had come along with being viewed as a vicious criminal who attacked innocent people, she didn't have a lot of strength left.

The only thing that kept her getting back to her feet was remembering the other people on this rooftop.

Her baby sister, whom she'd vowed to always protect.

And her best friend, who'd shared thoughts, trust, and emotions with Yang that she'd never shared with anyone else. In turn, Yang had done the same for her.

They were both indescribably precious people, ones she'd never stop fighting for until she'd drawn her last breath.

 _If that's how it has to be... then so be it!_

Presently, she shoved herself back up to her feet, spitting out an acidic mixture of saliva and blood. She growled as she faced her adversary.

She hadn't landed so much as a single blow on Cinder after that first surprise bullet. The woman stood calmly and quietly, that strange glow still surrounding her.

Though Yang didn't know exactly what was going on, she could gather enough information based on what she knew.

Whatever powers Cinder now had, she must have obtained recently, likely at some point during this unprecedented attack on Beacon. But clearly, simply _obtaining_ that power wasn't good enough for her. She needed to stay here until she'd done something else.

And Yang's visions had told her exactly what that was.

She wanted to _use_ this power.

Cinder wasn't going to leave here until she'd killed Pyrrha.

So that either meant Yang would have to kill her first, or die defending her friend.

She told herself she was prepared for either option.

She had no choice but to engage in combat with the woman once again. If Yang stayed down, Cinder would kill Pyrrha, and then Ruby and herself, no doubt. So Yang had no choice but to keep fighting.

She missed every punch, every shot, and in return suffered every blow Cinder tossed her way. Yang staggered, stumbled, and swayed, but she kept getting back up.

All the while, Pyrrha whimpered and cried for her to please stop. Yang couldn't afford to look at her friend, but she knew this was torture for her.

For whatever reason, Pyrrha couldn't fight right now. She couldn't even stand up. And now she was being forced to watch one of her best friends fight her battles for her, a battle that would quite possibly end with Yang's death.

Her broken sobs and pleas kept carrying out.

"No... please, stop... Don't do this..."

Yang's heart wavered every time she heard her friend's voice.

But she couldn't stop fighting. Not until she was physically and entirely unable to.

As she was now, taking hit after hit from Cinder, she was merely delaying the inevitable. She knew that. But if it could allow Ruby and Pyrrha to live just a second longer, she'd gladly continue for as long as she could.

She swung and missed again, took another kick to the ribs again.

Again and again. Over and over.

Until she hit the ground and finally couldn't get up anymore.

She tried and tried to push herself back up, but her arms were too weak and shaking far too much. She could hear Cinder's footsteps approaching her now, slow and deafening, taking her time.

 _Damn it!_ Yang spat out another mouthful of blood and saliva. _She's... she's not completely in control of her powers. I can tell that much for sure. It's leaking off of her and she's clearly not used to it yet. If I could just find some way to exploit her inexperience with it, I could-_

"Agh!"

She cried out as the sharp heel of a shoe slammed mercilessly onto her spine. Yang heard Pyrrha scream out her name and a slew of pleas, but they all went ignored by Cinder.

The woman leaned down over Yang, taking her time in slipping the string of her bow around her throat. She then pulled back, forcing Yang's head up, exposing her neck. Cinder half-purred, half-growled into her ear.

"Are we quite finished here?" she snarled. "You've delayed me long enough. If only your _dear_ little sister were awake to watch me slit your throat from ear to ear."

Yang growled defiantly, her eyes still rimmed with red and searing a look of sheer hatred up into Cinder's amber gaze.

"You- hhgk-!"

She was cut off as Cinder tugged on the bow again, the taut string pressing dangerously against Yang's windpipe.

"Once you're out of the way, I'll be sure to take my time with your dear little sister. I'll wake her up first so she can feel every arrow I'm going to put into her."

"Bitch-" Yang rasped. "I'll-"

"You'll do what? By that point you'll be lying here in a pool of your own blood. But don't worry. I'll make sure she sees you one last time before I put an arrow in her heart."

Yang made a furious effort to surge upward and throw her off, but Cinder didn't budge. She pressed her weight harder onto Yang's back and pulled on the bow, constricting Yang's air even more. The woman went on calmly.

"After that, I just have to kill the intended host. That shouldn't be too difficult, considering she can't do much more than cry like a scared little girl now. Watching you two die will certainly resolve her to her fate as well."

Of all the despicable things Cinder was saying, for some reason, that one word stuck in Yang's mind.

 _Fate._ Or otherwise referred to as _destiny_.

It reminded her of the text message conversation she'd had with Pyrrha only a few nights prior.

Pyrrha had told Yang that she was scared of her destiny, that she felt trapped by it, constrained to follow whatever predetermined path was laid out for her.

If Yang lost now, she'd only be letting Pyrrha fall victim to her worst fears, and succumb to the fate that had been looming over her for her entire life.

She didn't want that to come true. She didn't want Pyrrha to believe she was helpless and had no control or choices within her own life.

She could fight back. She could change her future. She could defy fate and live on.

Yang wanted to prove that to her. She wanted to live with Pyrrha, and stand proudly at her side...

The string pressed around her throat was being pulled harder, forcing Yang to go limp. She felt Cinder crouching down over her, holding the bow in place with one hand as she reached for an arrow with the other.

By this point, Pyrrha was screaming at the top of her lungs.

"No! Please stop this! You got what you wanted, didn't you? Just leave us be! Don't hurt her! Please _stop!_ "

But Cinder proceeded as though she hadn't heard a thing.

Yang choked back a sob that got lodged in her throat. She was getting dizzy from the lack of oxygen, and her vision was shifting out of focus. She felt the cold blade of an arrow being pressed to her throat. Cinder braced it there firmly, ready to slice it across in one swift motion.

"Don't worry," she murmured. "I'll take good care of your little sister and your little friend."

Yang could only close her eyes, let the tears drip down, and accept her own fate.

 _I'm sorry, Pyrrha... Ruby... I couldn't protect you after all..._

" _Noooooo!_ "

Pyrrha's scream cracked the air around them. Yang felt the tip of the arrow press in against her neck-

-and suddenly it was gone.

The arrow fell to the ground at her forearms, the bow string snapped and allowed her to breathe again, and the weight of Cinder's body on her back vanished all at once.

Gasping, Yang frantically flipped herself around, grabbing the arrow as a means of self-defense. Her eyes grew wide at what she saw.

A woman dressed all in black and red stepped out of thin air. The portal disappeared in a flash of crimson light as Yang beheld the sight of her mother's back.

Cinder, despite her newfound powers, had yet to get used to controlling them properly. The surprise attack had knocked her down, where she presently lie unconscious in the debris.

The dragon still waited for its master's command on the side of the building, and as such didn't move.

Both Yang and Pyrrha beheld the sight of Raven, who'd taken out their adversary in a single, brutal hit. Of course, that was only thanks to her obscure abilities and the element of surprise.

Yang caught her breath as she got her bearings. She looked to Pyrrha a dozen or so yards away. She was still frozen on her knees, covered in dirt and blood and tears, her green eyes wide with shock at the newcomer's sudden appearance.

Pyrrha was all right.

Yang next looked to Ruby.

Her little sister was closer to her than Pyrrha was. She was lying on her side, with Crescent Rose just a few inches from her grasp and her red cloak draped over her. She was still unconscious, but Yang was just so thankful she was still alive. She half-crawled, half-dragged herself over to Ruby's side and touched her cheek.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I almost..."

She couldn't bear to think about it. She leaned down and kissed Ruby's forehead gently.

Then, she straightened up and turned to address her mother.

"What are you doing here?"

Raven hadn't budged since she'd shown herself. But now, she reached up to remove her mask and turned her head. She glared at Yang over her shoulder.

"That's twice I've saved you now. There won't be a third time."

Yang returned her mother's gaze with an equal fervor. She nodded once.

 _Fine. At least it's all over now._

Those were her thoughts.

But as she prepared herself to gather Ruby into her arms, Yang froze when she noticed her mother begin to approach Pyrrha.

The young champion's relieved smile soon faded into an uncertain frown. Raven's sword was drawn, and as she approached, she didn't seem to have any intentions of sheathing it.

Yang laid Ruby back down and jumped to her feet.

"Wait! Wh-What are you doing?"

Raven paused only to whip around and face her daughter once again.

"You think this is over? Are you _really_ that naive, Yang? I told you. This doesn't end until she dies."

Horrified, Yang forced her legs to move.

"No! You don't have to do that! Cinder-"

"-May have the Maiden's powers now. I'll have to kill her, too. But the girl goes first. If she's already dead when the current host dies, the powers will have to seek a new host, one nobody will know about. They'll be safe that way, where no one can recognize and target them. We'll _all_ be safe that way."

"No!" Yang snapped. "That's not-"

" _Enough!_ " Raven shouted. "This could end with two people dying, or two million. It's not a _choice_ , Yang. It's the _only option_."

"No!" Yang screamed again. She kept stumbling as she ran, trying desperately to reach Pyrrha before her mother did. "It doesn't have to be this way! You've seen by now, haven't you? Haven't I _proven_ to you that I can change fate? _I have and you know it!_ "

She fell again, scraping her knees and palms on more sharp debris. Raven still had yet to draw another step closer to her target.

"Perhaps..." she said.

"Not 'perhaps'!" Yang spat, shoving herself back up again. "You _know_ that I have! I used what you showed me, and once I understood it was real, I stopped it! I saved Blake, and Weiss, and I saved Ruby! So you _know_ I can save Pyrrha, too!"

"You can't." Raven's voice dropped to a lower tone now. "You can't save her now, Yang."

"Then why?!" she shouted. "If I couldn't save her, then why the hell did you even bother showing me all of those visions? Why the hell did you even let me believe that I _could?_ "

"Because at one point, you could have!" she snapped. "But that point in time has come and gone. It's not possible anymore, Yang."

She advanced another few steps, until her blade was within range of the confused, terrified girl. Pyrrha stared up at her with wide eyes, tears streaming down either side of her face. She shook her head slowly.

"No... p-please..."

But Raven raised her sword without mercy.

"I'm sorry. This is the only way. You know that, don't you? Accept your fate. You've never been able to change it from the moment you'd been born."

And Pyrrha could only see the truth in those words.

All her life, she'd been fated for this.

She'd been lifted up onto a pedestal as a student and as a performer, only to discover she was the proper host of the Fall Maiden's powers.

She was the idol that would send a message to the world. The angel that had no other choice but to lose her wings.

If her death would prevent the deaths of others, then shouldn't she accept her fate after all?

 _Maybe... it's time I stopped fighting it..._

She lowered her hopeless gaze away from Raven's cunning one _._

 _One martyr can spare a thousand lives..._

She closed her eyes, bowed her head, and accepted her fate.

" _NO!_ "

Yang stumbled again in her desperation to reach them. She'd be _damned_ if she let it end like this, after all that had been changed, after all that had been salvaged. She forced herself back up and kept running.

"Pyrrha, no! Don't accept that! You can still change your destiny! You can still fight! But you can only do that if you're _alive!_ "

She kept running, her vision blurred by tears and sweat and blood.

But her words seemed to have struck a chord within her friend.

Pyrrha gasped softly, feeling a prickling sensation within her chest. Her heart which had previously been resolved to stillness now beat with a new fervor.

 _She's right..._

Slowly, Pyrrha lifted her head once again. She looked up at the woman before her now, not with fear and acceptance, but with confidence and defiance. Her green eyes glared up into crimson, and the woman narrowed her gaze.

"She... Yang is right..." Pyrrha rasped. "I don't... _have_ to accept this fate... this destiny... I _won't_."

Raven drew her sword back despite the girl's determined words.

"I'm sorry. But you have no choice but to accept."

" _I refuse_ ," Pyrrha acclaimed.

Her defiant declaration actually caused Raven to hesitate. She tightened her grip on her sword but didn't move it.

Yang continued to rush toward them. She wasn't far now. Just a few more seconds-

"No." Raven shook her head, fighting back the part of herself that longed to believe Pyrrha, that longed to show her mercy and spare her life so that she might prove Raven's predictions wrong.

But Raven knew. She knew firsthand what would happen if she didn't kill this girl here and now. She had to.

"I have to-"

She raised her sword up high and closed her eyes.

Pyrrha's heart stopped. She couldn't move. She _wanted_ to fight now. She _wanted_ to defy her fate. But she couldn't move.

With one swift, sharp motion, Raven's sword came down-

" _NO_ -!"

Blood sprayed down over Pyrrha's face, staining her hair and clothes.

But it wasn't her own blood.

Like an angel cut down, Yang fell before her. Red pooled where she hit the ground, her clothes, hair, and skin stained with red. Her right arm landed several feet away.

Pyrrha's voice shook the air with a horrible, heartbreaking scream.

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 **A/N: Different methods, same results.**

 **Please review!**


	9. Chapter 8 - A New Fate

**I must say I rather enjoyed the reactions to the last chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

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Chapter 8. A New Fate

Yang fell before Pyrrha in a puddle of her own blood. She was coughing and choking in agony, crying out in pain.

Pyrrha screamed for her again and again, fresh tears pouring down her face.

Only then, in wake of such horror, did she find the strength to move. She reached out for her dear friend and pulled Yang into her arms, screaming and crying.

"No! Yang, Y-Yang, _no!_ Oh, what have you done...? What have you done...?" She pulled Yang in to her chest, conjuring up what little aura she had left and sharing it with her.

Yang continued to shake and sob in her arms, whispering broken fragments of her name.

"P-Pyrrha..."

"Shh..." she soothed, blinking more tears away. "It's all right. D-Don't talk..."

"N...No..." Yang grunted. "I have to..." She tried to push herself up a bit, only to discover there really was no support coming from her right side. She couldn't feel anything there, only horrible pain.

That was the final part of her nightmares, of her visions. With this, she'd seen, felt, or prevented everything they'd encompassed now.

And she knew her mother understood that.

Raven hadn't moved an inch since she'd brought down her sword. It was still red and wet with her daughter's blood.

Yang turned a distraught gaze to her now. There was pain, anguish, rage, and so much more in her eyes.

But past all of that, there was confidence, defiance, triumph.

She tried to speak with just as much passion as the pain she was feeling.

"This... is over," she rasped. "And you know it."

Raven stared down at her with unblinking eyes and an unreadable expression.

Yang sniffled, swallowing thickly as her own aura joined Pyrrha's at the gaping wound at her elbow. But she didn't let that pain stop her now. Not after she'd come so far.

"It's over... You'd said... there was no way left that I could prevent her death... But I just did. You were wrong. I f-found a way to... to prevent every death you'd shown me. I... I changed fate. Wh-Which means... this is over."

Her mother said nothing. She just kept staring down at her sword and at her mangled daughter.

Pyrrha curled protectively over Yang now, sending an equally distraught but serious gaze up at the woman.

"Yang is right..." she sobbed. "I'm not... entirely certain what all of this is.. and what's happened... but I know now that... that she's changed my destiny. That I've been permitted to live because of what Yang has done for me. So... no one needs to die anymore."

Yang coughed in her arms, her eyelids fluttering weakly. She tried to use her hand to hold onto Pyrrha's, but couldn't be sure if she made contact or not.

"P-Pyrrha..."

"Hush. It's all right, Yang." Pyrrha leaned over her and gently rested her forehead against hers. "You... You've done your part. You've done... _so much_... Now it's my turn."

Yang had done so much for her, more than Pyrrha could probably ever truly know.

She'd shown her that she could change fate. And she'd proven that there was a peaceful way out of this, where not a single drop more of blood needed to be shed.

Pyrrha was finished hiding from herself.

She was finished running from her destiny.

She was finished suppressing her feelings.

She wiped the tears away from Yang's cheeks, and pressed a small, soft kiss to the side of her face.

Yang blinked up at her, drowsy and confused, her eyes glazing over from the blood loss. Pyrrha smiled down at her, brighter than the sun, and a single tear fell down to land on Yang's other cheek.

"Thank you, Yang."

Yang had done so much for her. She'd saved her life.

She'd made Pyrrha realize that she could change her own destiny.

When Pyrrha had been ready to lie down and die, Yang had shown her she could stand up and fight.

So it was time to stop running from it.

She was alive now because of Yang.

And _because_ she was alive, she could fight back against her fate.

Carefully, she laid Yang down on the ground. Her aura had managed to stop most of the bleeding, but it was still a heart-wrenching scene.

Her best friend... has lost a _part of herself_ for Pyrrha's sake. That immense sacrifice deserved to be justified.

Pyrrha intended to thank Yang for her loss by ensuring there was no more. No more blood needed to be spilled. No more lives needed to be taken.

Pyrrha found the strength to stand.

She wasn't scared anymore.

Not of Raven. Not of Cinder. Not of the Grimm.

And not of her own destiny.

She cast one last look at Raven, who still hadn't moved.

Only now did the woman finally tear her gaze away from her daughter. She lifted her eyes to meet Pyrrha's.

Pyrrha returned and held her gaze, leaving no room for miscommunications of what she had done, what she was doing, and what she was about to do.

But she didn't move.

Not until Raven had sheathed her sword and dipped her head.

Only then did Pyrrha leave Yang's side. She walked right past Raven and didn't so much as glance at her again.

She strutted over to where Cinder lie, still unconscious from the blow Raven had dealt her earlier. She could feel the power leaking off of her. That had been part of the reason why she'd lost. Because Cinder wasn't the proper host for the Fall Maiden's powers, and therefore her body had been unable to control them as intended.

"Don't worry," Pyrrha murmured. "I've come to take them back now."

She stopped once she'd reached the other woman and then knelt down. Reaching out her hand, she let it hover over Cinder.

Even in doing just that much, she felt some of the Maiden's powers naturally rise up to wreath around her fingers.

Pyrrha closed her eyes and inhaled a long, deep breath. She wasn't scared anymore. She wasn't uncertain about this.

Before, down in the basement with Ozpin, when she'd been trapped inside that capsule, she'd doubted herself. She'd been afraid of losing her memories of who she was. She'd been afraid of failure and of losing the people she cared about. That was why Cinder had been able to steal the powers from her.

But Pyrrha wasn't afraid of anything anymore. Her confidence, her determination, and her just heart all made her strong now.

She had friends who would fight for her. Friends who would _die_ for her.

She had so many people she loved and cared about, so many people she wanted to protect. That was why she had been the proper host of the Maiden's powers in the first place. And she realized that now.

As she inhaled, she could feel the powers flowing back into her, where they rightfully belonged. The stream of energy flowed in effortlessly.

It felt like waves of bubbling, boiling water had been trapped inside a container that was too small. But now it was allowed to flow freely and comfortably into a vessel that could accommodate every last drop.

In this manner, Pyrrha took back her power. And it seemed somehow glad to be back with her.

Cinder woke just as the last bit flowed back into Pyrrha's fingertips. The girl reopened her eyes and stood, her green eyes bright with clarity. She hadn't lost her memories or knowledge of who she was. She knew _exactly_ who she was, and what she was going to do to end all of this once and for all.

She met Cinder's eyes and recognized the fear in them. But unlike her, Pyrrha was a merciful girl.

"Go."

The single word was all that needed to be said.

Perhaps Cinder would come back another time to try and steal the powers back. But Pyrrha would deal with that when it happened, if it ever did.

Cinder dragged herself to her feet, and faced her only for a minute. She was angry that she'd lost, that she'd failed.

But more than anything, she was scared.

So she turned, and without a word, she ran. An air ship lowered itself to the edge of the tower to collect her as if on cue, and then it was gone.

Pyrrha turned back around to take in the scene on the rooftop.

Ruby was curled up not too far away, and had yet to regain consciousness. Pyrrha wanted to thank her properly too, for trying to defend her.

But Raven was still there, standing over Yang who was somehow still awake. Pyrrha made her way back over to the dark-haired woman and gained her attention.

"Are you satisfied now? This is over, isn't it?"

The woman said nothing. She merely glanced at Pyrrha and remained silent. Despite all this woman had done and tried to do to Pyrrha and her friends, she smiled at her.

"Perhaps you don't believe me? Do you need a demonstration to prove to you that these powers are rightfully mine?"

A deafening roar split the air just then, and the entire tower shook. The dragon had been roused by the sudden presence and transferring of the Maiden's powers and was now agitated.

Solemnly, Pyrrha dipped her head to Raven. She then turned to face the massive beast where it was spreading its wings, drawn out from its state of melancholy.

Yang was barely able to keep her eyes open at that point, but she refused to close them until she could see for certain what had happened.

Pyrrha strutted up to the edge of the tower, just a few yards away from where the dragon was lifting its head and beginning to move. Its massive jaws parted, the mouth opening as far as halfway down its neck. It could easily swallow a few air ships whole, let alone a single girl.

There was a powerful rush of air as the beast beat its wings. Its claws dug into the building, creating more splinters and chunks of debris as the structure shook. A deafening roar rattled the air and the tower alike as the monster began to take flight.

But even in wake of all this, Pyrrha stood perfectly still.

Calmly, she lifted both hands, and even from this distance, Yang could make out a faint glow emitting from her skin.

Around Cinder, this power had been out of control. But with Pyrrha, it seemed to have settled.

Yang was beginning to feel herself slip away. Her eyelids kept falling heavily shut, and the pain at her right elbow pooled like so much blood she'd lost.

She glimpsed her little sister one last time, still lying motionless, but alive. And she knew that now, Pyrrha would keep her safe.

Yang looked one last time to her mother. The woman had turned her back by now, without so much as a word.

There was so much Yang still wanted to say to her, so much she still wanted to ask her. Her throat scratched in protest as she tried to conjure up the breath to speak, but in the end she managed to get out a single rasp of a word.

"M-Mom..."

Raven paused only briefly. But she didn't turn nor look back at her. She merely lifted her sword, pulsing a bright red glow, and cut into thin air. A black scratch mark lingered behind in the path of the blade, and seemed to beckon her in.

Yang struggled to push herself up with her left arm, but a dizzy spell crashed down on her. She slumped back to the ground just as an immense sensation of movement shook the building.

She didn't have to look to know Pyrrha was fighting the dragon entirely on her own. And she didn't have to hear the beast's dwindling cries to know she was winning.

Yang knew her mother was going to leave her again. She just found a bit of solace in the fact that this time, she'd at least get to watch her go.

Raven stepped into the portal, her black hair and clothes blending in, as though she were a part of it.

And just like that, she was gone.

Not a trace of her was left behind. Nothing but a whisper, words Yang struggled to make sense of.

She was gone.

And only then did Yang finally understand this was all over.

Even though she'd failed to understand the prophecies at first, she'd managed to take them seriously before anyone could die because of her inaction.

She'd lost her match against Mercury because everyone had thought she'd attacked him unprovoked and caused him great harm for no reason.

But she'd stopped him and the people who had been helping him in their plot, and she'd proven her innocence in doing so. She'd fought off the Grimm and the White Fang, and even when she'd had no idea how she could win, she'd found a way.

And as a result, she hadn't had to watch anyone she loved die.

She'd saved Blake from her past, from the vicious claws of the White Fang, and from her ruthless ex-partner.

She'd saved Weiss from the ferocious and animalistic Grimm.

She'd saved Ruby from the arrow that would've otherwise pierced her heart.

And she'd saved Pyrrha. Or rather, she'd helped, and Pyrrha had saved herself.

She'd directly influenced preventing the deaths of the four people she loved and cared about most in the world, and in doing so, had most likely prevented the deaths of other civilians and comrades as well.

And all she'd paid for it was an arm. When she thought about it that way, it really didn't seem like all that bad of an exchange.

But even so, she didn't want to think about that now.

She couldn't turn or move herself anymore, but she was still aware of how the air was shifting in tumultuous bursts.

Pyrrha was still fighting, and still winning. Things were breaking, cracking, crumbling, but the only sounds of distress were coming from the monster.

Yang couldn't really see her fighting, but she could imagine what Pyrrha must've looked like. Gallant and confident, strong and sure. She'd never waver in the face of danger if it meant protecting something precious to her. Just like Yang, or any other huntress.

It wasn't long before an enormous roar seemed to make all of Beacon rumble. The rhythmic beating of the massive wings came to an abrupt halt, and was followed by silence.

Yang could sense its presence disappearing. She heard Pyrrha's footsteps approaching, though she passed Yang by and must've gone to Ruby first, and Yang was thankful for that.

After that, she heard her friend rushing towards her, calling out Yang's name fretfully.

But that was the end of the line for Yang. No matter how hard she fought now, she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. Her mind slipped away into someplace dark and quiet, and with her conscious went all the pain she had previously been feeling.

Only one thing flashed through her mind; those two words her mother had spoken to her before she'd vanished.

Only now could Yang make sense of them.

It was the last thing she'd ever be able to remember from all of this.

 _"Thank you."_

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 **A/N: At last, it's all over. But the story has a bit more to cover!**

 **Please review!**


	10. Epilogue - After The Battle

**After so many weeks, this story is finally at its end. So much has happened, so thank you for keeping up!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

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Epilogue. After The Battle

The light streaming into the room was soft and gentle, two things Yang was thankful for feeling upon first waking up.

She knew right away that she was in the infirmary – the feeling of a soft bed and the scent of flowers spoke volumes even long before she opened her eyes to the white walls and ceiling.

She couldn't move at first, and as the memories came flooding back, she remembered why.

Blake, Weiss, Ruby, Pyrrha, her mother...

She had so many questions, and she was eager to start asking even before she knew whether or not she was alone in the room, and before she could even catch her breath. How many days had passed? Was the attack over? Was the school safe? Where were her teammates and friends? Where was her sister-

"Yang!"

At least that answered one question right off the bat.

Yang strained to turn her head from where it lay on the pillow. Her heart flooded with relief and soared with joy at the sight of her baby sister, sitting there beside her. Ruby's eyes were wide and full of tears, which started dripping down her cheeks right away. She lifted her hands to her mouth and whimpered.

"Y-Yang..."

As the big sister, the last thing she wanted to do was worry her. Yang battled past the soreness and at least managed a smile.

"Hey, Ruby..."

Ruby stood from her chair right away and crawled onto the edge of the bed instead. She was already sobbing even before she wrapped her arms around Yang's shoulders and gently collapsed on top of her.

"Yang... Y-Yaaanng-!"

"Hey... it's all right... C'mere, you."

Yang shifted beneath the blankets and brought up her arms-

 _Oh. Right..._

That memory hurt most of all. With all she'd saved and salvaged, there was one thing that would never come back.

All she could do was drape her left arm across Ruby's back.

Even just that much hurt.

She wanted to do more. She wanted to hug her. _Fully_. With _both_ arms.

And she _couldn't_.

She kept lifting her right arm – or what was left of it – and tried to put it around her little sister's shuddering back. Some part of her believed that if she kept trying, she'd eventually feel it again, that maybe if she tried just _one more time,_ it would come back.

But it... never did...

She cried.

She cried for a long time, and Ruby cried with her.

Of course, they were both thankful that the other was all right.

But some things would never be the same anymore.

Yang didn't know how she'd ever get used to... _this_.

Being unable to hug her little sister or her friends like she'd always used to.

Being unable to pick her up and feel with both hands.

Being unable to defend herself as well as she'd used to.

Being unable to fight as well as she'd used to.

Being unable to pull the covers up comfortably at night, or turn on a faucet, or put toothpaste onto a brush, or open a door, or type a message on her scroll, or hold anything for anyone.

There was just... so much she _couldn't_ _do_ now.

Despite the immense victory, Yang could only feel defeated.

Scared. Helpless...

What if, for the rest of her life now, she was just relying on other people? Being a burden to them? She didn't want that...

And no matter what she did or when or why she did it, there would always be a constant reminder of how incomplete she was.

She cried long and hard into Ruby's shoulder, her hand clutching tightly, almost angrily into her little sister's cloak.

 _Why?_ Why did it have to happen this way? Hadn't she done enough? Hadn't she saved everyone? Why did she have to lose such a major part of herself? Why had _she_ been made to pay that price?

She was angry, distraught, in denial.

But as time passed by in that hospital room, filled with the sounds of hers and Ruby's sobbing, Yang realized something.

Would she have rather seen Ruby lose her arm? Or Weiss? Or Blake? Or Pyrrha? Or any other of her friends? She'd never wish such misery on them, and she knew they'd never wish it on her, either.

What had happened to her wasn't anyone's fault. No one deserved that, not even her.

But somehow, she'd just have to find a way to cope and keep living. She had to.

Because there were people counting on her, people she was counting on, and people she wanted to keep tackling all of life's adventures with.

She stopped crying before Ruby did.

Yang started stroking through her sister's hair and patting her back for her. When she could, she started to murmur soothing words to her.

"It's all right, Ruby... It's all right..."

Ruby sniffled and blubbered into her chest, shaking her head.

"B-But- Yang-"

"I know," she hushed her. "I know... But... But this is how it's... gonna be now. And we'll... we'll figure it out... won't we?"

Ruby pushed herself up so she could look into her big sister's eyes. She wiped her sleeve over her face and nodded.

"Yeah... w-we will. I p-promise, Yang... I-I'm just... I'm so _sorry_ -"

"Don't be." Yang pulled her back down and kissed her cheek. "You have no reason to be sorry, Ruby. It's nobody's fault."

Her little sister just broke down all over again. Yang held her as best she could, and let a few more tears of her own slip down her cheeks.

It was going to take time.

But if it was a time when all of her friends would be alive and at her side to help her through it, Yang would make it through. She knew she would.

Eventually, Ruby couldn't cry anymore. Yang cradled her head against her chest for a while and just held her, letting Ruby get used to the partial embrace. Yang heaved a long sigh and let a few more tears out.

"So... tell me what's going on. How's the school? Are Weiss and Blake okay?"

Ruby pushed herself up a little bit and shifted her position, tucking herself into Yang's side rather than resting on top of her. Yang lifted her arm and Ruby nestled beneath it.

"The school is... well, kinda messy. But the professors and everyone are helping out with repairs and stuff... When I woke up, I was in here, too. And... And-"

She got choked up for a second, and Yang rubbed her back.

"Shh, it's okay, Ruby."

Her sister nodded.

"Y-Yeah..." When she lifted her head a little and wiped her eyes again, Yang noticed she was smiling now. Ruby looked up at her with watery silver eyes. "Yang, you didn't find out before, but... but Penny is alive!"

Yang's eyes went wide with shock and delight.

"She... She is...?"

Ruby nodded happily.

"Yeah! A-After everything started, Sun and Velvet and everyone else and I were fighting the Grimm, and I... Penny woke up! She took an air ship to safety and she's with General Ironwood now!"

Yang's heart lifted, and for the first time since waking, she truly felt overjoyed.

"Ruby, that's wonderful!" She squeezed her little sister tighter to her side. Ruby giggled and wrapped her arms around Yang as best she could.

"Yeah! I was... I was so scared that she'd... But she's all right now. She's gonna be okay."

"That great, Ruby. I'm so glad..."

A moment of silence passed, and they relished the good feelings. But soon, Yang needed to know about a few other people.

"How about Blake and Weiss? Have you seen them?"

Ruby swallowed, and her smile faded. She buried her face into the blankets over Yang's side and spoke much more softly now.

"After I woke up and the nurses let me out of bed, they told me where your rooms were. Blake and Weiss were in the same room, so I went to see them first..."

Yang steeled herself for whatever news she might hear about her teammates. Ruby was clearly upset as she went on.

"Blake was being treated for a big, awful wound in her stomach. She was awake when I went in, and she was so glad to see me. But she didn't know about you, yet. She was really, really worried, and she probably still is."

Ruby sniffled again, swallowed, and went on.

"A-And Weiss was... she had all these wires and things attached to her. She couldn't breathe on her own and there was this tube thingy on her mouth..." She stopped again as the tears started up. "She was... hurt really bad... all over. And she didn't wake up... b-but the nurses said she will eventually. They just don't know when..."

Yang flinched as the memories of what had happened to the others came back to her.

With Ruby, it had been hit or miss in protecting her. All it would've taken was one arrow. It would have been quick and almost immediate.

But Yang had prevented that just as quickly.

However, for Blake and Weiss, things had been much more drawn-out.

Blake had bled from that wound for a long time. Even when they'd thought it had closed up, it kept reopening to ensure her suffering.

And Weiss' torture had been terribly, _terribly_ prolonged.

So of course, those two were going to need a lot of time to recover.

Ruby was crying again, and so Yang drew her closer.

"I'm sorry for making you think about it again, Ruby. I know it's hard... It's just that... I was with them during the attack, so I know how badly they got hurt, and I just needed to know..."

"Yeah..." Ruby whimpered. "I understand. You must've been really worried about them."

"I was," she sighed. "And I was worried about you, too."

"Yeah... I've been so worried, Yang... I'm just... I'm _so_ glad you're finally awake... And it's all over..."

"I know," she whispered back. "Me, too..."

Yang closed her eyes and let out another long breath, keeping Ruby close to her side. When she was able to turn her face and strain a little, she managed to kiss her sister atop the head and ruffle her hair lightly.

Ruby stayed close to her for a while longer, hugging her around the stomach and telling her news about Beacon and what was happening now in the rest of the world.

The rest of Remnant was doing its best to send support to Vale to help them rebuild and recover. There was an increase in security and medical personnel. All in all, people were pulling together, and that made Yang tear up all over again.

A soft knock at the door surprised both herself and Ruby. Her little sister squeezed Yang one last time before promptly sitting up and settling for just holding tightly to Yang's hand instead. She glanced at Yang who nodded.

"Come in," Ruby called out.

Yang turned to look towards the door. She was more than a little surprised to see Pyrrha standing there.

The last Yang had seen her, she'd been covered in dirt and blood, even despite her impressive victory.

But now, she'd shed her dented armor for clean casual clothes, her hair was beautifully brushed and neat, and there wasn't a speck of dirt on her person. Her eyes and smile brightened instantly when she spotted the sisters and realized Yang was awake. She closed the door and hurried in with an air of excitement and relief about her.

"Oh, Yang! You're awake, too! Thank goodness!" She paused on the other side of Yang's bed and lifted her hands to her mouth, overcome with emotion. Yang offered a smile back to her.

"Pyrrha... It's so good to see you."

"You took the words right out of my mouth," she chuckled, already fighting back more tears. Pyrrha made her way around to Ruby's side of the bed and wrapped her arms around the younger girl. "Hello, Ruby. How are you doing?"

Ruby gave Yang's hand one last squeeze before letting go, and retuning Pyrrha's embrace tightly.

"I'm okay!"

"I'm so glad," Pyrrha sighed. "I've been staying with Blake and Weiss all this time, so I'd come to fetch you as soon as I could." She pulled away smiling as tears dripped down her face. "Weiss has just woken up. Blake's with her, but she's been asking for you and Yang as well. You should go see her when you can."

Ruby gasped softly as Pyrrha pulled away from her. Yang was flooded with relief to hear the news about Weiss, and she couldn't blame Ruby at all for sending her a desperate look.

"Yang..."

She was torn. She clearly wanted to stay here with her older sister, but she wanted to see her partner as well. Yang reached out to pat her head.

"Go see Weiss and Blake," she said. "Tell them I say hi and that I'll come visit them as soon as I can."

"Right," Pyrrha agreed. "And I'll stay with Yang. So don't worry."

Ruby sniffled and nodded, then threw her arms around her sister in one more hug.

"Okay... I love you, Yang."

Yang took in a long breath as she hugged her back, praying that one arm could suffice to provide as much fervor as she intended to give.

"I love you too, Ruby."

She kissed her sister's forehead one more time before letting her go. Ruby dipped her head to Pyrrha, then darted out the door.

The two older girls watched her go for a moment. Then, Pyrrha moved up to take Ruby's previous spot at Yang's bedside. As soon as they made eye contact, Pyrrha's smile wobbled a little.

"May I?"

Yang nodded right away, and Pyrrha took a seat on the edge of the bed. Timidly, she reached for Yang's hand and covered it with her own.

Yang watched as Pyrrha's eyes found sudden interest in the floor. She didn't look up again as she began to speak.

"Yang... I'm not even sure where to begin other than I am so... _so_ sorry-"

"Pyrrha-"

"Because everything you did... everything you _lost_... was because of me... wasn't it?"

" _Pyrrha_."

Yang turned over her hand and threaded her fingers through hers, giving a squeeze. The action gained Pyrrha's attention, and she slowly lifted her face once more. Yang met her watery emerald eyes with unwavering lavender, and spoke with conviction.

"Pyrrha, nothing was ever your fault. Don't apologize. You defeated that dragon. You saved Beacon."

"Only because _you_ saved _me!_ " The tears began to drip down onto the bedsheets. " _You_ saved me, Yang... and at what cost?"

"Cost...?" Yang repeated. "Pyrrha... I'm still _alive_. We _all_ are. I'm sure Ruby's told you about Penny, right?"

She didn't miss Pyrrha's guilty flinch at the mention of the girl, but ultimately she nodded.

"Yes... she's alive, isn't she?"

"That's right. And so is your team, and so are you. And so is my team, and so am I. And so many other people. If all I had to pay for this was an arm, then I'd gladly do it again, Pyrrha."

She could feel the tears slipping down her own cheeks now just as clearly as she could see Pyrrha's. But Yang didn't stop until she was finished.

"We... We changed _destiny_ , Pyrrha. That's... not really an easy thing to do. But I'd say... if, in the end, everyone gets to live happily and healthily, then any other sacrifice is worth it. Wouldn't you?"

Pyrrha dipped her head, and in the process lifted Yang's hand up to her chest, holding it tightly. She cried softly, her ponytail slipping out over her shoulder as the warm tears fell onto Yang's forearm. When she spoke, her voice was small, but certain.

"You're... You're right... I just... I wish it could've been me-"

"And if it _had_ been, then I'd be wishing the same thing," Yang assured her. "No matter who it was, everyone else would be wishing it were them instead. But this-" She lifted what was left of her bandaged right arm. "This is what it is now. And personally... if I've got all of you here to help me through it, then I know I'll be okay somehow. I _know_ it."

Pyrrha bit her lip, but nodded.

"Yang... Because of you... I've changed my destiny. So now I... I want to help you change yours."

She shifted closer, wiping her eyes so they could shine clearly. Yang nodded a little, silently consenting to her proximity.

Slowly, Pyrrha reached out and wrapped both arms around her back.

Again, Yang struggled to hold her in return, _knowing_ she should be able to _feel_ something on her right side, but couldn't. She could still remember what a full embrace _felt_ like, what it was like to have _something_ there...

So the absence of that something only made her all the more desperate to get closer, so she could feel as much of that warmth as she could. She could feel Pyrrha's heart beating softly against her chest, a surefire sign that all of this was real and not just another dream.

Yang just prayed the nightmares were over now, in every sense.

That caused her mind to wander briefly, back to thoughts of her mother, of where she'd gone and whether or not Yang would ever see her again.

But she'd have plenty of time to ponder those thoughts later.

Right now, someone else deserved her full attention.

Pyrrha's embrace was strong, and yet there was a vulnerability to it. She wasn't invincible, even with her new powers, and she knew that.

But Yang liked to believe that she could help make Pyrrha stronger than she'd ever be without her.

In a sense, Pyrrha had already changed Yang's destiny. Because if Pyrrha had died that day, Yang's fate would already be so drastically different.

But since she was alive now, Pyrrha had changed many people's destinies by simply being around to be a part of them now.

Gently, Pyrrha pulled away from the embrace, only to sit quietly next to Yang, letting the blonde lean against her shoulder. She kept one arm around her back, and the other hand held onto Yang's, fingers still entwined. Pyrrha let out a sigh and rested her head against Yang's shoulder.

"I know I've said it before..." she murmured. "But I want to say it again. Thank you for... for everything, Yang. Not just for saving my life, but for saving so many others as well. Thank you for... for going through so much. None of us would be here now without you."

And Yang knew for a fact that was the truth.

If she'd failed – if she'd failed and even _one_ of her friends had died, none of the survivors would ever have been the same again. And if Yang had failed entirely, and she'd lost everyone, then she knew she wouldn't have stayed alive for very long afterward anyway.

So she savored every feeling she was experiencing now, and even the ones she wasn't. She tried consciously getting used to the lack of sensation on her right side, so that it would eventually become an unconscious acceptance. And she relished every other feeling she _could_ still feel.

And when she compared the two, there were a lot more things she _could_ still feel than ones she couldn't.

Maybe it was only half of what she'd once known it to be, but she could still feel the warmth of someone's embrace. She could still feel fabrics and objects, and other people's fingers through hers. Other than that, nothing else had really changed. She could still feel with every fiber of her being, things like relief, excitement, joy...

And there was one more emotion she didn't want to leave out.

With a small nudge, she coaxed Pyrrha back just a little, so she may look into her eyes.

In wake of all else that had happened, Yang hadn't had the time to remember that kiss back on the rooftop. But now she was reliving it, and wondering what it had meant.

She saw the realization in Pyrrha's eyes, and her expression became instantly more serious, focused, determined.

But Yang only smiled as she leaned in, until she could feel Pyrrha's breath on her lips.

And there was a little sigh of the utmost relief, and a whimper of sheer elation.

Pyrrha bumped her lips softly against hers at first, just to make sure this was what Yang truly wanted. But it was made clear by the tight grips they had on each other's hands and the warmth in their hearts that it was what they _both_ wanted.

So they didn't hold back any longer.

They kissed much more fully now, wordlessly exchanging the most obvious description of their feelings.

They didn't need to say it.

For two young fighters who were so vibrant, warm, and full of energy, their kisses matched them perfectly.

And from each one, they drew a little more courage, a little more strength.

And they'd continue to do so, because now they'd have each other for a long time to come.

Because they had done the impossible.

Because they had turned fate on its head.

Because, in shattering a cold, cruel destiny, they'd created their own.

One that was so much warmer, so much stronger, and full of love.

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 **A/N: I got some reviews wistfully hoping for Yang/Pyrrha romance so I'm hoping you were pleasantly surprised! Also, unlike in the canon, when Ruby says "I love you" to Yang, _I had Yang say it back._**

 **I know a lot of people didn't like this story (too bad, so sad), but I really appreciate all of you who stuck with it until the end! I worked hard on it, and it's really such a neat idea from BT, who is such a loyal supporter. I'm so thankful to everyone who has read this story!**

 **Please review!**


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